Shades of Gray: Year One
by PotterScar
Summary: On September 1, four boys would meet. A child from Dark parentage, an arrogant showoff, a confused Muggleborn, and a boy with a secret would form the tightest of friendships, but would have to break the legendary Black and Potter hatred. New title.
1. Prologue: The Letters

**Hello! Thank you for deeming this story worthy enough of reading.**

**Hate Is Such a Strong Word is a Marauder's Era fic about Sirius', James', Peter's, and Remus' first year at Hogwarts.**

**Before I begin the story, let me give you a brief personality check. We all know where James and Sirius came from - James came from a loving, supportive, not to mention rather rich family. Sirius came from an equally rich family, but all his parents care about is power and wealth, often ignoring their eldest son. But what about Remus and Peter?**

**Remus grew up with his mother and father in a loving environment. He is an only child, and his family isn't the richest around. They aren't horribly poor, but fairly low-middle class. He's a half-blood, with his father being a pure-blooded wizard and his mother being a muggleborn.**

**Peter's mother and father run an inn, and the family lives on the top two floors. He's a Muggleborn, and knows nothing about it until he's thrown into it headfirst. He couldn't be any more confused.**

**Now that that is finished, we'll get on with the story. This is "The Prologue: The Letters".**

**I hope you enjoy it, and tell me what you think in a review, if you don't mind!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Marauders or any other familiar characters in this story, and I am not getting money off of this story. Boo hoo.**

Hate Is Such a Strong Word

PROLOGUE:

The Letters

By PotterScar

**SIRIUS ORION BLACK:**

_Toujours Pur... always pure..._

"SIRIUS!"

The screech of a woman erupted from the floor below. Her voice seemed several octaves higher than a normal person's voice, and her son swore that she was half-banshee, at the least.

The formerly mentioned son shoved his fingers in his ears, swearing under his breath. "I'll be right there, Mother!" he hollered back, silenting the annoying grating of his mother's voice.

Wondering what the hell he did this time, Sirius Black opened the door to his room and stepped out into the poorly lit hallway, very dim compared to his sun-filled room. He was the only one in the house that ever pulled back the curtains. His family was like a bunch of bloody vampires, honestly.

Striding down the dim corridor, he walked past the row of house-elves' heads (he couldn't wait to see Kreacher's up there someday), past the portraits of past Blacks, past the curtain drawn over Merlin-knew-what (Sirius was forbidden to touch it - he presumed it to be a door of sorts, but he couldn't be sure, of course), and finally made it to the stairs.

Thumping down them, he came onto the ground floor of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. He could hear his parents murmuring softly in the kitchen, and he knocked on the door. _A Black must always make his or her prescence announced; never is a Black to barge into a room univited,_ said his mother in his head.

"Come in," came the booming voice of his father, and Sirius opened the door, laying his cool grey eyes on his parents.

Celena Black could pass off as pretty if she wasn't wearing an ugly look on her face. Her long silvery-blonde hair reached her mid-back, and her ice-blue eyes surveyed her son, looking for flaws in his appearance. Unable to find anything wrong - his shirt untucked, an untied shoe, a hair out of place - she turned to her husband.

Orion Black resembled his son greatly. They both had black hair, though Orion's was longer than Sirius' - while Sirius' only skimmed his ears and fell lazily over his eyes, Orions hung sleekly to his shoulders. They both had stormy grey eyes, though Sirius' had traces of blue in them. A letter was held firmly in his hand, and he looked at his eldest son, the heir to the Black family fortune.

"Stand up straight," he instructed, and Sirius stood up even straighter than before, as if a yardstick was pressed firmly to his spine. Orion nodded. "Your Hogwarts letter has arrived today."

Sirius restrained himself from whooping with joy. He nodded curtly, keeping a cool mask on firmly to avoid giving away emotion. _A Black never shows emotion. Blacks don't wear their hearts on their sleeves. Only weak people do. Blacks aren't weak, _rang his father's voice.

"We expect you to respect your fellow Slytherins and your Professors, even if you don't like them." His mother said. "We especially want you to show special respect towards the Slytherin Head of House, Horace Slughorn. You disobey," at this, his mother narrowed her eyes. "You disobey, and the consquences are serious. Your cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa will be keeping an eye on you."

Sirius nodded once more and said mechanically, "Yes, Mother."

Sirius' father and mother nodded with approval, small smiles on their faces. Their son wouldn't fail them. "Good. You are dismissed." Sirius bowed deeply and bid his parents good afternoon, before leaving the room.

"He's learning quickly. We shall celebrate once he is sorted into Slytherin," his mother said, looking over at her husband.

**JAMES CHRISTOPHER POTTER**

_Perfect on the outside, lonely on the inside..._

June 21st dawned bright and beautiful. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Kids were outside, playing rowdy games of Quidditch and Muggle Tag.

It seemed like every child in the neighborhood was outside, even though it was barely ten in the morning. It had to be one of the nicest days that the Wizarding neighborhood of Snidget Boulevard had ever had.

One child, however, wasn't outside. He was standing at his kitchen window, one hand raised to the glass and barely touching it, looking down the hill his mansion resided on and watching the game of Quidditch going on between the boys and the girls below in the valley.

A shock of black hair fell into his eyes, and he watched the fourteen players below and the half-dozen kids cheering them on. James Potter knew he should be out there. He knew he was easily one of the best Quidditch players in the neighborhood. He knew the rulebook cover to cover, he'd seen every Quidditch game that Puddlemere United, his favorite team, had played, and he even owned a broomstick.

He had tried to befriend the kids below, but they just wouldn't accept him. James' family was easily the richest in the neighborhood, surpassing the Prewetts, the Applebys, and the Abbotts. When he asked if he could play a game with them, they would hurriedly say they had too many players, maybe he could play another time?

Of course, you got used to it after a while. Maybe it wouldn't be so badif James had siblings... but he was an only child, because his mother and father didn't have enough time for two children.

_Hell, they don't even have enough time for me,_ James thought to himself, not watching the Quidditch game anymore, but just staring unseeingly out the window.

Turning away from the window, he busyed himself with making a turkey sandwich. Just as he was taking out the small bag of turkey slices his mother had pre-cut, there was an impatient tap coming from across the kitchen.

James jumped nearly two feet in the air, startled by the interruption of silence that had been in the kitchen. Wildly, he searched for the source of the noise, and he found it.

At the window, looking in at him with an annoyed look on it's face, was a handsome tawny owl with a thick parchment envelope tied to its leg.

Dropping the bag of turkey on the kitchen counter, he strode over to the window and unlatched it, throwing it open. The owl fluttered in, landed on the kitchen table, thrusting out the leg bearing the envelope.

His fingers trembling with excitement, he untied the letter from the owl's leg. It stood and watched him patiently with it's amber eyes. Glimpsing briefly at the front, he carefully tore the Hogwarts seal from the parchment, withdrawing a letter from it and unfolding it with mounting excitement.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

Grinning like mad, he dashed over to the drawers next to the refridgerator and dug through them, looking for a bit of parchment, a quill, and an ink pot. Finding them within a few minutes, he scrawled his acceptance, recorked the ink pot, and shoved the quill and ink away, folding up the parchment and writing "Hogwarts" on the front.

Giving the owl a crust of bread as thanks, he tied the letter to the leg of the owl. After it finished its treat, the owl hooted its thanks and flew out the open window.

James grabbed the now empty envelope, the letter of acceptance, and the equipment list and dashed up the stairs to his room, still smiling, to owl his mother and father.

**REMUS JOHN LUPIN**

_Secrets really aren't any fun..._

"Remus, dear, are you awake? Your breakfast is beginning to get cold," called the sweet voice of a woman through the door of her son's bedroom.

The son groaned in response. "Yeah, Mum, I'll be out in a minute," he said back, his voice hoarse. The woman's footsteps faded as she walked back to the kitchen, and the boy layed in bed for several minutes before sighing and swinging his legs out from beneath the warm covers. Slipping his now freezing feet into warm slippers, he stumbled out of his room and down the hall, to the bathroom.

Grabbing his hairbrush, he pulled it through his brown locks of hair, observing the scar running from behind his ear to the nape of his neck sadly. Scanning over the rest of his reflection with amber eyes, he noticed that he was looking awful. He was pale and sickly, looking as if he was either ill or just getting over the summer flu.

Setting down the hairbrush after his short hair was sufficiently tangle-free, he turned off the bathroom light and padded softly down the hall, in the direction of the kitchen. He could hear his mother bustling with the tea kettle, and he smiled in spite of himself.

When Remus Lupin entered the kitchen, his mother looked up at her son and frowned. "Remus, dear, you still don't look well, and the full moon was three days ago. Come here, let me get you a potion..." Sarah Lupin looked through the potions stocked in her kitchen cabinets, looking at the labels and tutting. "Oh, dear, these have all expired... ah! Here's a good one! Remus, dear, remind me to go down to Diagon Alley later and pick up some more healing potions..."

Remus took the periwinkle colored potion from Sarah, drinking five sips as indicated and handing it back. She recorked it, pushing it back into the cabinet full of medicines and such. Most of them seemed to be pain-relievers, healers, and Blood-Replenishers.

Curious.

"Where's Dad?" Remus asked, seating himself in front of a big plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast. His mother poured steaming tea into two chipped teacups. She handed him one and took a sip from her own, before answering.

"He had to go to work early," Sarah replied. Her husband, Blake Lupin, worked in the Control of Magically Enchanted Items, which wasn't a very large department. Mr. Lupin's office was smaller than a broom cupboard.

Spearing a sausage, he nodded and took a bite of the meat, savoring the taste. His mother took a seat across the table from him, unfolding the morning edition of the Daily Prophet and reading the front page. After a few minutes, she tutted.

"Honestly, you think a fully grown wizard would have more sense," she clucked, looking vaguely agitated. Remus looked up from his eggs.

"What is it, Mum?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. Sarah sighed.

"A wizard from the Department of Magical Creature Control thought that a bunch of Firebogs surrounding his home were ordinary chickens, so he fed them corn. They ended up breathing flame and setting fire to his home. Stupid, stupid man," she said.

Remus was still confused. "Why would feeding them corn be a problem?"

Sarah pursed her lips. "You never feed a Firebog anything material. They eat air. If they're willingly fed something material, they breathe flame. Honestly, how could this man think a Firebog was a chicken?"

Remus blinked. "Are there differences in appearances?" he asked.

His mother nodded. "Great differences. Firebogs are always a smokey grey color with red tipped wings and red beaks. And this man works with magical creatures!"

Remus smiled slightly. "It must be a slow news day, seeing as the front page's story is about chickens and Firebogs."

Sarah snorted. "Yup. I suppose no news is good news."

Remus knew she was referring to the recent attacks that had been happening all over Britain. Cloaked figures that called themselves... what was the word? Death Makers? It didn't matter. Some insane guy led them, thinking all half-bloods and Muggle-borns should be killed. Nobody really took him seriously at first, until he started attacking people a few months ago.

A tinny tap on the window in next to the sink made Sarah look up from her paper and Remus look up from his breakfast. A tawny owl was observing the two Lupins, its wings folded to the sides of its body. A letter was firmly tied around its leg, and it tapped the window once more with its beak.

Sarah got up and opened the window, allowing the owl entrance. It hooted, staying on the windowsill and sticking out its leg so she could relieve it of the letter. Swiftly, she untied the letter and read the front, breaking out in a huge grin.

"A Hogwarts letter!" she practically squealed. She didn't know if her son, with his condition, could attend Hogwarts at all.

Remus rocketed out of his chair. "Lemme see!" he cried, taking the letter from his mother and ripping it open, reading the note inside:

_Dear Mr. Lupin,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

_P.S. We are aware of your condition and Headmaster Dumbledore doesn't see why you cannot attend school, as long as certain precautions are taken. Have a good summer term._

Remus' mother embraced her son, happy beyond belief. "We _must _Floo call your father, dear!" she said, and Remus wasn't listening. All he could think about was the school year that lay ahead.

**PETER MICHAEL PETTIGREW**

_Being flung headfirst into another world isn't the best experience._

The Pettigrew Inn was dead silent. All of its occupants were out for the day, shopping or whatnot. The only people who still occupied The Inn were the owners, the Pettigrew family.

Michael Pettigrew was a man of average height, with blue eyes and brown hair. He was extraordinarily ambitious, and knew just how to get his way if he wanted something but it was denied to him.

His wife, June Pettigrew, was a petite woman with short light-blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She had an even temper, hardly ever yelled, and always found the good in people.

They had a son, Peter, who was short and blonde like his mother but inherited his father's eyes. He also inherited his mother's personality- he was quiet and didn't possess a temper. He had never yelled in his entire life.

It was a normal Monday, really. Peter sat cross-legged on his bed, reading _Antigone by Sophecles_ for his summer reading list for school. Raising one hand to his mouth, he yawned widely and continued to read, until he was interuppted by a rather loud tap on his window.

Lifting his eyes from the book, he expected to see nothing, as the neighbor boys liked to throw pebbles at the windows. To say he was shocked by the prescence of an owl on his windowsill was an understatement. And if the owl wasn't enough, there was a letter tied to its leg.

A _letter_!

Peter assumed he was going mad.

To check his theory, he opened the window and stuck his hand out, expecting it to go right through the owl and he would just feel air. Instead, his hand collided with warm feathers, and the owl squawked, looking highly affronted, and nipped his hand.

Peter jerked his bleeding hand back into the room, and the owl took advantage of the open window to flutter in and stick out its leg. It was peering at him irritably, looking like it would like to bite his head off.

Watching the owl warily, the boy untied the letter and looked at it.

_Mr. P. Pettigrew_

_Room Number 328_

_19 Parkson Avenue_

_London_

_England_

It was addressed to him! Turning it over to open the envelope, he paused in mid-rip. Instead of being sealed with a sticker of sorts, it was shut with a wax crest bearing a badger, a serpent, a lion, and an eagle, all entwined around an "H" in the middle.

Curious.

Opening the envelope fully, he pulled out a piece of folded paper, but thicker... what was it called? Parchment? As he pulled this out, another sheet fluttered unnoticed to the floor.

Unfolding it, he began to read, his eyes growing bigger with each word. When the words "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" came up, his jaw hit the floor.

Dropping the letter, he snatched up the piece of parchment that had fallen on the floor and scanned it, fingers trembling.

A wand? A cauldron?

_A broom?_

Peter looked up from the supply list, still silent and four shades paler than usual, before...

"MUM!"

**So, how did you like it? Please review! Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are ignored, praise is loved!**

**'Til next time,**

**PotterScar**


	2. Pure, Half, and Mudblood

**Wow, I actually got some reviews! Go figure **

**After this chapter, I'm going to start updating between weekly and bi-weekly, but that'll be hard to keep up once school starts again. I'll try my hardest, but I can't guarantee anything. I'll probably update every weekend.**

**One reviewer commented that I could have included Lily, and I just want to say this for everyone who might think that. This story is focused on the relationship between the Marauders. Yes, Lily will be mention several times in the story, and yes, she will have a speaking part. In fact, she's mentioned a few times in this chapter.**

**I've decided that the main character of this story is Sirius, and most of this will be from Sirius' point of view. I'll lace in some James, Remus, and Peter from time to time, but just a fair warning.**

**Okay, today is Wed., so I'll probably be done the next chapter by the weekend.**

**I want your guys' opinion - which do you like better: long chapters with less frequent updates, or shorter chapters with more frequent updates? If you choose the second option, the chapters would be a little shorter than this, and if you choose the first option, the chapter will probably be 150 longer. Just tell me when you review!**

**Enjoy this chapter, everyone!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Marauders or any other familiar characters in this story, and I am not getting money off of this story. Boo hoo.**

Hate Is Such a Strong Word

Chapter One:

Pure, Half, and Mudblood

By PotterScar

"SIRIUS!"

There she went again! Sirius winced at his mother's sudden shriek, looking up from the book he had been reading, _British Pureblooded Wizarding Lineage of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century._

"Yes, Mother?" he called back, a tone of irritation laced into his voice. He disliked people interupting him while he read. For this, his obnoixous little brother Regulus labeled him a bookworm, and Sirius labeled him a prat.

"We're going to Diagon Alley to purchase school supplies! Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes, and be sure to shower!" she called up the stairs. Sirius rolled his eyes, setting down his book and walking over to the bathroom, grabbing some clothing from his wardrobe on the way.

He pondered the contents of his book while in the shower. Some of the names had stuck out at him. Obviously, Black was high on that list, and he went through each person in his line. Every person in his family had been a Slytherin, save his Uncle Alphard and cousin Andromeda, who had both been Ravenclaws. Ravenclaws were accepted by his family, because intelligence was a highly favored quality. The list of houses and names had stopped at himself. The book was enchanted, Sirius knew, to update itself after a certain person in the book was sorted into a house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Another name that had stuck out at him was the name Malfoy. His father was a good friend of Abraxas Malfoy, and Sirius was aware that Abraxas' son Lucius would be in his sixth year at Hogwarts while Sirius was in attendance there. This didn't make him want to jump up and down with glee, but he was tolerant enough of the arrogant boy. As far as the book was concerned, Lucius was an only child.

Then there were the Potters - his father spoke of them often, and it was an angry word. Daniel Potter and Orion Black worked in the same Department at the Ministry: The Department of Mysteries. Sirius marveled at his father's work as an Unspeakable - his father never spoke of the work he did, just of the people he worked with.

Apparently, the Potters were one of the richest families in England, rivaled only by the Malfoys, the Whitbys, the Rosiers, and, of course, the Blacks. His father referred to them as "the pack of blood-traitors" and Sirius' father hated Daniel Potter with a passion.

After a quick shower, Sirius emerged from the bathroom, brushing his hair. He was donning black robes made of the finest silk with the Black family crest (a black viper on a silver background) embroidered on the chest, and brushing his hair.

He appeared in the kitchen in good time, with five minutes to spare. His mother tutted upon seeing him, and performed a drying spell on his hair. Sirius rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Finally, after a few minutes of fussing with his appearance, Sirius' father got up from the chair he'd been sitting in. "Are you quite done yet, Celena?" he asked, barely able to supress rolling his eyes. Celena Black made a small noise of indignation, but stepped away from her son.

Wordlessly, Orion Black sheperded his son to the fireplace, where a fire was already roaring in the grate, and handed him the small clay pot of Floo powder. Taking a pinch from the pot, Sirius asked, "Where should I ask to go?"

"Gringotts," Celena answered, adjusting her robes. Sirius nodded, tossing the green powder into the fire. The flames instantly changed colors, turning to emerald green. Sirius stepped into them without hesitation.

"Gringotts Bank," he said clearly, and soon, the whizzing sensation of Floo took him over.

Personally, Sirius had never liked to travel by Floo. He hid his discomfort in it easily behind a mask of cool indifference, but spinning through hundreds of thousands of grates made him uneasy. He worried that he'd fall out of the wrong one and end up somewhere he didn't want to be.

However, he managed to keep himself in the fire until the spinning slowly stopped and he was facing the white marble interior of Gringotts. Many Hogwarts students were out to buy school supplies today, he noted, as he stepped out of the fire and brushed his robes off haughtily. Minutes later, his mother stepped easily out of the grate, and a minute or two later his father joined them.

Orion looked around himself with a peturbed air. "Allowing _filth _like that into a fine Wizarding establishment should be against the law," he sniffed, looking at a family that was obviously Muggle with a Muggle-born witch. Sirius thought the young redhead was quite pretty, but he wasn't about to say that aloud. Her emerald green eyes were looking around her curiously. They landed on Sirius, and the corners of her mouth tugged up slightly. Sirius only acknowledged her by inclining his head slightly. The girl was obviously startled by his way of greeting, and she looked away.

"Come, Sirius," said his mother, prodding him sharply in the back, and he strode after them to the desk of a goblin so they could retrieve their gold.

In the meantime, Sirus decided to try and make himself familiar with the faces he would be seeing in school. His eyes first landed on a short, blonde woman with her equally short, blonde son. The woman was making transactions with the goblin, who was explaining to her what the values of a Knut, Sickle, and Galleon were, while her son was watching the goblin rather nervously. _Must be a Mudblood,_ Sirius thought, using the word his parents always used for a witch or wizard born to Muggle parents.

His eyes left the boy and his mother and stopped on a man with greasy, black hair, a willowy brunette, and their son. They weren't familiar to Sirius, and since they were out of earshot, he couldn't hear them. The man looked slightly unnerved, but his wife seemed at home in Gringotts. Their son looked indifferent.

Sirius' eyes slipped from the three and looked to the mother and son at the desk next to them. The mother was an average height with almost black hair and her son looked to be an inch or two shorter than her, and had medium brown hair flecked with grey. Sirius frowned slightly at this, but didn't ponder it further as his eyes landed on a man with messy brown hair, a lady with wavy black hair, and their son.

Seconds after his eyes stopped on the three, he heard his father sneer behind him. "So Potter's kid is going to Hogwarts too this year," he drawled, looking dispassionate.

In his hands was a bag of gold. Sirius didn't question why they didn't have to go down to their vault to get the money - such questions didn't merit an answer, according to his father.

Ah, so _thats _who Daniel Potter was, Sirius thought, as he observed the man who was ushering his son away from the goblins and towards the door. The Potters passed the Blacks on the way to the door, and Daniel paused when he saw Orion.

"Orion," he greeted, with as much civility in his voice as he could muster.

"Daniel," Orion replied, inclining his head. "How are you?"

"Fair, and yourself?" Daniel said back, with a forced smile.

"Fair enough. Your son?" Orion's cold grey eyes left Daniel Potter and switched to James Potter, who looked back for several seconds before looking away quickly. Sirius sneered slightly at this.

Daniel nodded. "Yes, this is James. He's starting Hogwarts this year."

Orion smiled coldly. "So is my son Sirius."

Sirius looked away from the goblin he'd been watching when his name was mentioned, and he fixed his eyes on Daniel Potter.

"Well, if you'll excuse us, we have quite a bit of shopping to do. Have a good day." With that, Daniel led his family away.

The second the Potters were out of earshot, Celena and Orion turned to Sirius. "You are not to converse or acknowledge the Potter boy in any way while you are at school, understand?" Celena snapped, and Sirius nodded without question.

**X**

Once the Potter family was out of Gringotts, Daniel Potter looked down at his son. James blinked back up at him, wondering what his father was going to say. Daniel looked pained and irritated.

"James, the Blacks are bad blood. We don't want you to get mixed up with them. Just avoid that Black boy," Daniel said quietly, looking down at James through his black-framed glasses.

James nodded. He'd heard his father talk about Orion Black and the Blacks in general. They were a Dark family that hated half-bloods, Muggle-borns, and what they called "blood-traitors" - basically anyone who liked the first two. The Potters fell under that category.

"With any luck, you won't have to deal with him," said Celena grimly. "Every Black in history has been sorted into Slytherin except for two. I wouldn't doubt that the boy is the next to go into Slytherin. He sure behaves like it."

James spoke up. "How do you know, Mum? He didn't even speak," James pointed out.

His mother's lips were pursed, and she opened her mouth to answer, but Daniel Potter beat her to it. "The look on his face. It's the same look his father wears. The Blacks think they're better than everyone else, because of their blood. Bunch of -"

"Daniel!" Michelle Potter scolded, and Mr. Potter had the good grace to look abashed. James grinned as the tension was lifted.

"Well, we should get started with that shopping, then! First stop: Ollivander's for your first wand!" Daniel said, clapping his son on the back as James' grin stretched even wider at the mention of his first wand.

**X**

"Thank you," Sarah Lupin said to the goblin when he handed her a small sack of gold. She and Remus exited the bank, passing two families talking to one another. Remus frowned - it sounded to him like the conversation was rather forced, and he assumed the two families didn't like one another much.

Sarah made a face as they passed the two families, looking at the boy with dark hair and grey eyes in particular. When they had left the Wizarding bank, Sarah strode to the bookshop, with Remus rushing to keep up.

"Mum, why did you look at those two families like that?" Remus questioned her quietly. Sarah sighed.

"Those were the Potters and the Blacks. The two fathers work at the Ministry like your father, but in a different compartment."

Black... the name sounded familiar. "Your father has mention Orion Black a few times at the dinner table," his mother said, looking sideways at him. Remus nodded, remembering.

"Dad doesn't like Mr. Black that much, does he?" Remus said, picking his brain to remember what his father had said about Orion Black. Sarah sighed and shook her head.

"No, he doesn't. Black is one of those people that supports that new Dark Lord... no, he's not a Death Eater as far as we know," Sarah said, seeing Remus' shocked face, "but he likes his ideas of 'purifying' the Wizarding world... come along, let's get your books and have no more talk of this," she said, getting off the rather miserable subject. "Let's see... we're looking for _Charms and Beyond: Year One_."

**X**

June Pettigrew was looking anxiously at the coins in her hand as they stepped out of the white bank, trying to remember their values. Peter looked at her sympathetically, clutching the school supplies list in his hand.

As they walked down the street, Peter's mouth hung open slightly at the sights and sounds. Owls were on sale in a pet shop, potions were brewing in the Apothecary, and a girl was carrying what looked like a purple rabbit with wings out of a shop call The Magical Menagerie.

Blinking his watery blue eyes, he looked away from her to his mother, who had snatched the list out of Peter's hand while he wasn't paying attention and was looking at it with her eyes slightly squinted.

"A _wand?_" she exclaimed, looking faintly shocked. Peter grinned slightly.

"That's what it says, Mum," he said cheerfully, looking at the small information packet they picked up at Gringotts. Flicking through the leaflet, he stopped everytime he saw the word 'wand' until he found the section that showed where you could buy supplies.

"They say here that you can buy a wand from a place called Ollivander's, Mum," Peter said, looking up from the packet. "It's up the street a ways."

"Well, come on, then, we'd better get a move on, before it's Christmas," Peter's mother said, but Peter wasn't paying attention.

His attention had been caught by an owl about to let go of its droppings right above his mother's head.

**Well, what did you think of this chapter? Too short, too long, or just right?**

**As always, constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are ignored, and praise is loved!**

**Until Chapter 3,**

**PotterScar**


	3. Nothing Like Your Family

**Hey guys!**

**This is a really late update... I'm sorry! Things have been insane around my house, school's starting in a week! Gah!**

**Well, anyway, I have a few things to point out to you. This chapter is going to be about the train ride and the sorting. In the first two chapters, you might have noticed that I used a pattern in the POVs: Sirius, then James, then Remus, then Peter. That will not be continued in this chapter, and may be used occasionally later in the story. Mainly, I'm writing, as I said, from Sirius' POV and sometimes James'. Remus and Peter won't have their POVs so often - only once in a while, at most.**

**I hope you guys find this chapter satisfactory! Don't forget to review, mind you!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Marauders or any other familiar characters in this story, and I am not getting money off of this story. Boo hoo.**

Hate Is Such a Strong Word

Chapter Three:

Nothing Like Your Family

By PotterScar

The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black was a buzz with activity as four students got ready to be sent off to Hogwarts.

Aunt Louisa and Uncle Alphard shepherded their three daughters around the house, getting them to pick up lost and, ahem, stolen school supplies. Sirius was racing about his room while his mother shrieked at him for taking so long to pack. Diving under his bed, he scrambled to pick up two books, a box of owl treats, and a glove.

Regulus, who was nine, wasn't helping matters by whining every three seconds, and Sirius ended up flinging his History of Magic textbook at him, which just made his mother scream even more.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, YOU APOLIGIZE TO YOUR BROTHER RIGHT NOW OR ELSE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HOGWARTS!" she screamed at him, and Sirius mumbled an apology to Regulus along with a venemous glare. Regulus just smirked at him from behind his mother, making Sirius' scowl even more pronounced.

Fifteen minutes to eleven, all four students that were departing to Hogwarts were standing in the kitchen, their trunks behind them. Sirius watched the other members of his extended family enter the grate to use the Floo network that would take them to a small Wizard pub right next door to Kings Cross Station.

His Uncle Alphard and Aunt Louisa went first, followed by their three daughters.

First was Andromeda Black, a Ravenclaw who was entering her fifth year. She and her father were the only ones in the Black line not to make Slytherin, but Ravenclaw was, in fact, acceptable. Sirius got along rather well with her.

Then came Bellatrix, who was going into her third year as a Slytherin. Sirius got along with her well enough, although she enjoyed taunting him to no end.

The final of his cousins was Narcissa, who was the same age as Sirius. Sirius hadn't a clue which house she was going to be sorted into, but he suspected Slytherin. She was a haughty little brat, and she and Sirius bickered often.

Sirius followed the three girls, appearing next to them and their parents in the small, cramped pub. His own mother and father followed behind him, holding Regulus' arm tightly, and they trouped out of the pub towards the train station.

As they entered the train station (Sirius distinctly heard his father mumbling under his breath about Muggle filth), Sirius caught sight of the red haired girl who had been at Gringotts. She and her family looked utterly confused as they stood between Platforms Nine and Ten, obviously wonder where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was. Rolling his eyes, he watched their looks of awe as Andromeda and her mother and father strolled through the brick wall.

Bellatrix and Narcissa went next, followed by Sirius and his parents. The girl and her family decided to follow the Blacks, and were startled speechless when they passed through the solid wall and emerged on the other side.

The Platform wasn't as crowded, because Sirius and his family were rather late. "Go on, go on, get on the train before you miss it," his mother snapped, pushing them and their trunks forward and towards the red steam engine with the words "The Hogwarts Express" marked on the side in gold.

"We shall send a letter after you're sorted into Slytherin, Sirius," his father said curtly, and Sirius nodded and bowed. His father bowed back, and Sirius took his leave, grabbing his trunk and heaving it onto the train.

Once they boarded the train, Andromeda bid them good-bye and went off with her Ravenclaw friends. Bellatrix nodded to her sister and her cousin. "Come with me," she ordered, and the two eleven year olds followed after exchanging glances.

* * *

An hour later, Sirius wished he'd made his escape when he could. The people in his compartment were horribly boring, all Slytherins. Several of them were first years, and nearly all of the compartment worshiped the ground Sirius walked on, trying to get on his good side. His money and his power was what brought them all to him, and he hated it.

One particularily annoying one was Severus Snape, who wasn't speaking a word to him, or anybody else for that matter. He had especially clammed up when the conversation turned to the wealth and power of their families.

"It's common knowledge that the Notts are far richer than the Averys," a boy by the name of Malcolm Nott scoffed, before turning his eyes on Sirius. "Of course, the Blacks are richer than the rest of us."

"The Potters are richer than the rest of you," Lucius Malfoy said nastily, rolling his eyes. He had just finished the Prefect's meeting, furious that a certain Arthur Weasley had beaten him out for the spot of Head Boy, so his temper was towering. "Stupid little blood-traitors... one of theirs is starting his first year." He fixed his stony gaze on the first years. "Stay away from him," he ordered, and all of them, including Sirius, nodded. "He won't be hard to spot. A big tangle of black hair, glasses, and an ego the size of England."

Sirius chose not to remark that Malfoy's ego was the size of Russia, knowing that he'd be sorry if he did. There was a soft knock at the door, and Malfoy opened it with a flick of his wand.

"Anything off the trolley?" asked the old trolley witch, smiling at the small group in the compartment. The first years rushed forward, including Sirius... but he went forward for a different reason.

Slipping past the crowd of overly-excited first years, he strode quickly down the corridor, looking over his shoulder as he went. He didn't want Malfoy or Bella seeing what he was doing and dragging him back to that hell.

He decided to find some first years to sit with, and peered in each compartment window. Sixth year Hufflepuffs, fourth year Slytherins, seventh year Gryffindors, second year Ravenclaws...

After nearly ten minutes of peeking into compartments and three hexes later, Sirius found himself at one of the last compartments. It contained a small, chubby blonde lad (he recognized him as the Mudblood he'd seen at Gringotts), a brown haired, tired looking boy (Sirius had seen him in Diagon Alley) and - his stomach lurched - James Potter.

Knowing that sitting here would irritate Malfoy, Bella, and the other Slytherins the most if they found him, he hesitated, his hand ready to knock. But they had no control over him, and he wasn't about to sit through another arguement of whether the Notts were richer than the Averys. He knocked quietly on the door.

"Come in," called a voice from inside, and Sirius opened the door.

Only the Mudblood kid looked up when Sirius entered. Potter had his nose in a Quidditch magazine, and the brown haired boy was reading their Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, and neither Potter nor the boy reading the text book looked up. Potter nodded absently, flipping a page, and the other boy grunted, "Sure."

They sat like this in silence for nearly half an hour. Sirius, who was sitting closest to the door, looked up at the window in the compartment door every few minutes. If they found him... there would be hell to pay.

But nearly an hour later, Sirius became more confident. They hadn't found him sitting here with a Mudblood, a blood-traitor, and a woe-be-gone looking kid in secondhand robes. Of course, all good things must come to an end. And the one to end it was James Potter.

Potter finished his magazine, putting it down, still not paying any mind to the person who had come into the compartment as he put his magazine away. Of course, as he closed his trunk, he looked up. And he saw Sirius Black.

Sirius hadn't noticed that Potter was looking at him. He was looking at the door, as if daring it to open, with a slight frown on his face. Of course, what James said made him look round.

"What're _you _doing here?" His hostile tone made the boy in secondhand robes look up and the Mudblood start. Sirius frowned lightly.

"I was under the impression that I could sit here," he said, and Potter scowled.

"And why would a _Black,_" he spat out the word like some filthy swear, "want to sit with a Muggle-born, a half-blood, and what they so politely call 'blood-traitors'?"

Sirius didn't have the chance to reply, because he was startled into silence by the face that had appeared in the compartment door window. A pale face with stony grey eyes and long, blonde hair.

Lucius Malfoy.

The door burst open, and Malfoy stood there, joined by Bella, Cissy, and all of the soon-to-be Slytherins.

"SIRIUS!" Bellatrix screeched, sounding a lot like Sirius' mother at that moment. She glared at his company. "What are you doing here!"

Sirius glared back. "Sitting, Bella, what does it look like?"

Malfoy and Bella glared, and came forward, each grabbing one of his arms. "What're you - gerroffme!" he said, looking clearly upset at being dragged forcedly away.

They both scowled, as did the others that accompanied them. The three first years in the compartment were stunned into silence. "We're getting you away from the filth," Bella said, spitting the last word and looking at the three. Potter scowled.

"Where d'you get off calling us filth?" he snarled, crossing his arms over his chest and standing up. The brown-haired boy seemed to bury his nose deeper in his book, as if trying to hide behind it, and the Mudblood squeaked, wriggling back into his seat.

Malfoy sneered. "We stayed true to our pure-blooded heritage, unlike you. Say good-bye to the next Slytherin in the line." With that, Bella and Malfoy dragged a struggling Sirius out of the compartment. Narcissa slammed the compartment door shut, and the three first years could hear Sirius struggling all the way down the hall, along with his swears and threats if they didn't release him.

"Stupid gits," James said indifferently, plopping back into his seat.

* * *

Night had fallen, and every student on the Hogwarts Express was wearing their robes. Sirius was sulking in the corridor outside of his cousin's compartment. He'd tired quickly of the other first years and had decided to spend the rest of the trip out here.

He picked at a loose thread in the sleeve of his black, plain robes. They would be emblazoned with the Slytherin crest soon enough... but for now, they were black. Empty.

Sirius sighed. His years at Hogwarts were going to be hell. Either he got into Slytherin and was miserable for the rest of his school career (the more likely of the two) or he wasn't sorted into Slytherin and his family was furious with him.

Sirius sat like this for a while longer, before the train screeched to a halt. Picking himself off of the carpet, he scowled as he was nearly bowled over by a bunch of overly enthusiastic students from a compartment down the corridor. They ran off when they realized who he was. They couldn't have been older than second year, probably first year. Sirius _hmphed_ before striding down the corridor as well.

He looked around at the crowded platform, unsure of what to do until he heard the cries of, "First yehrs o'er here, first yehrs!" Looking around himself swiftly to locate the voice, he blinked several times at the rather large man standing about ten meters away.

He had to have some giant blood in him, Sirius reasoned. His eyes widened when he realized it was Hagrid, the gamekeeper. Andromeda had told Sirius about Rubeus Hagrid - apparently he was expelled in his third year, but nobody knew why, and he stayed at Hogwarts as gamekeeper.

Pulled out of his reverie by a bunch of shoving first years, Sirius strode forward, straight-backed and haughty - the obvious signs of an aristocrat. His eyes narrowed slightly when he noticed that the large man was standing by a pier that led to the lake, where boats were tied in.

Oh yeah... the boat ride. Sirius made a face mentally. Bella and Andromeda had told him and Cissy about the boat ride across the lake - the first years took it and were led by Hagrid. Then they met up with the Gryffindor Head of House, Professor McGonagall, and were taken to a chamber to be sorted by the Sorting Hat.

"Sirius!" Narcissa sidled up to him, and for once, Sirius didn't make some rude comment or sneer at her. "Time for the boat ride," she sighed, and Sirius could tell she was as unhappy about it as he was.

Soon, the platform cleared out as the carriages taking the older students departed for the schools and all the first years were huddled together, shivering. It was an unusually cool night, and a chilling breeze swept through occasionally that made the students pull their thin school robes around them tighter.

"C'mon, four to a boat," Hagrid said gruffly, and students began to scramble into boats. James Potter and the two boys who were in the compartment with him were joined by a short boy with messy brown hair and tan skin.

Sirius took a boat with Narcissa, the greasy haired kid that hadn't spoken on the train (Sirius couldn't remember his name - Snope?), and a dark-skinned boy that was in the compartment with the Slytherins (Sirius thought his name was something Zabini).

Once everyone had a boat, Hagrid led them off the pier and across the lake. The boat ride was rather uneventful except when two boats collided and tipped over, making the rest of the year laugh. Even Narcissa and Zabini laughed with Sirius, though the greasy-haired lad stayed silent, his lip curled into a sneer. Sirius dislike for him deepend.

All in all, Sirius was rather glad to be off the cramped little wooden boats. Several students seemed to share that feeling with him - some scrambled onto land, and one actually collapsed onto the grass. He looked like he was going to be sick, and it didn't help that Hagrid picked him up by the scruff of his collar and set him on his feet, only for him to fall again.

So, several minutes later, the first years were trooping into the school, met in the Entrance Hall by a strict looking witch and led off to the side.

"My name," said the witch, once she had brought them into a chamber, "is Professor McGonagall. I teach Transfiguration and am the Head of Gryffindor. You are about to be sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Your house will be like your family. Every triumph will give you points; any rulebreaking, and you will lose points. The house with the most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup. You will be sorted in alphebetical order. Please wait here until I return for you." With that, the witch left the room. Sirius craned his neck to peer out of the door as she exited the room and was shocked to see the entire school out there.

"Oh my," Narcissa mumbled. "Quite a lot of people out there." Sirius nodded, biting his lower lip.

Theories buzzed around the room about how they would be sorted; apparently, Sirius was one of the only ones that knew how they would be sorted. People were convinced they had to fight a dragon or some other Dark beast. Sirius merely snorted, rolling his eyes.

After ten long, painful minutes, the door was reopened and McGonagall looked at the students. "It's time," she said shortly, and the students followed her out of the door.

Sirius, even though he had gotten a glimpse of the Hall, was taken aback, once again, by the vast amount of people. The four long House tables were nearly full but had spaces in them, where the new first years would sit. They were facing vertically across the hall. At the head of the tables was one table that was positioned horizontally - the Head Table, where the Professors sat. One seat was empty - McGonagall's seat. Sirius matched names with faces, using his knowledge of the teachers from his cousins. Slughorn, who taught Potions, was plump and elderly looking. Perry, who taught Defense, was young with scars on his face. Battle scars, Sirius assumed. Then Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Sirius found him easy to pick out, as he was awfully short. Hagrid, of course, was the gamekeeper. Then Kettleburn, who was missing several fingers, taught Care of Magical Creatures. Dumbledore himself, the Headmaster. Then Sinistra and Vector, who taught Astronomy and Arithmancy...

Sirius was cut short by the old hat on a stool opening the tear in it's brim and beginning to sing, startling almost every first year standing in front of it.

_More first years, I see_

_Come try me on,_

_and I will tell you_

_where you belong._

_Great Gryffindor,_

_where those who dwell_

_are especially brave_

_and here they will excel_

_Sweet Hufflepuff,_

_hardworking and loyal_

_takes those who know_

_if they want, they need to toil_

_Witty Ravenclaw,_

_she takes those with superb wits_

_Intelligent are her students_

_they always can outwit_

_Cunning Slytherin,_

_his ambition far passes all the rest_

_If you want to be admitted you must_

_strive to be the best._

_So try me on, I'll look in your head_

_Poke around a bit_

_and then I'll tell you (and the whole Hall)_

_where you best fit_

**(AN: Now you know you're a better poet than me. Don't you feel special?)**

Applause rang out as the hat fell silent, which the first years anxiously joined in, albeit hesitantly. Sirius pursed his lips, knowing his name would be one of the earliest called.

"Appleby, Thomas," called McGonagall.

A small, sandy haired boy walked briskly up to the hat and put it on his head. After a minute or so, the hat's tear opened again and shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

He strode away to the Hufflepuff table, which was cheering for their new member.

"Avery, Michael." One of the boys that had been arguing about whether or not he was richer than Nott sauntered forward, and the hat had barely touched his head before spitting out, "Slytherin!"

"Black, Narcissa."

Sirius nodded to his cousin, a gesture that meant "Good Luck", and she walked up to the hat and placed it on her head, where it was for nearly two minutes before shouting, "Slytherin!"

The Slytherin table hollered as Narcissa joined their ranks and sat next to her sister.

"Black, Sirius."

Sirius could feel the eyes of his cousins on him, but he didn't look at them as he headed towards the stool. Taking the hat and putting it on his head, he perched on the stool.

_Another Black? I just got through sorting your cousin! Ah, well, lets have a look inside your head, shall we?_

Sirius bit his bottom lip, waiting.

_No need to be nervous, my boy... hmmm... you're a particularily tricky one... definitely not Hufflepuff... you're bright, but you're no Ravenclaw. Slytherin? No, no, you're nothing like your family._

Sirius started, sitting up straight. **_What do you mean?_**

_You're cunning, young man, but not ambitious. You want to be different... you want to prove yourself. And I see quite a sum of courage in you._

_**But... but I have to be in Slytherin!**_

_No, you don't have to be anywhere. You don't belong in Slytherin. You belong in... _GRYFFINDOR!

The hat shouted the last word for everyone to hear. There was a stunned silence that rang in the Hall as Sirius sat there, looking dumbfounded.

McGonagall was the first that spoke. She cleared her throat. "Well, Mr. Black, go on to your table, then."

Sirius blinked at her. "But... but Professor, there's obviously been a mistake - "

"No, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said. "The hat is never wrong. You do indeed belong in Gryffindor. Go sit with your house."

Sirius got off the stool slowly, taking off the hat and setting it down, before walking nervously to the Gryffindor table. Their expressions had changed from surprised to hostile. Sirius looked at his cousins for comfort but saw them and Malfoy staring at him murderously. He slid into the bench, hunching over slightly to avoid the curious glances and glares being sent his way.

Finally, the attention was brought off of him when McGonagall resumed the Sorting, calling out, "Evans, Lillian."

The red-haired girl that Sirius had seen at the station and in Gringotts approached the stool and put the hat on her head. Ten or fifteen seconds later, she was announced a Gryffindor.

"Fenwick, Benjamin."

A wiry boy with messy brown hair stepped forward. Sirius recognized him as the boy that boarded with Potter and his friends. He placed the hat on his head, and it contemplated for a few minutes before yelling, "Gryffindor!"

Benji walked forward, acknowledging Sirius with a nod of his head and sitting across from him. Sirius was startled, but nodded back.

"Goldstein, Marcus."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Jillen, Anna."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Lupin, Remus."

Sirius instantly recognized Lupin as the boy that had been reading the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook on the train. The boy looked worried as he walked towards the stool and placed the hat on his head, which fell over his eyes and was only stopped by his ears.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Lupin got up, placed the hat on the stool, and walked over to their table, sitting a few places down from Benji.

"Malcolm, Theodore."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Nott, Malcolm."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Pettigrew, Peter."

It was that Mudblood on the train with Potter! Sirius watched the chubby boy walked nervously forward and perch on the stool with the hat over his eyes. It was on him for nearly ten minutes, by which time the school was growing bored watching. Finally, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Pettigrew got up, walking over to their table and sitting next to Lupin as they turned to watch the Sorting of -

"Potter, James."

Sirius scowled lightly as the boy swaggered up to the hat, as if he owned the school. Stupid git. The hat had barely touched his head when it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius sighed and politely clapped as the boy sauntered up to the Gryffindor table, promptly scowled at Sirius, and sat with Pettigrew and Lupin.

"Don't mind him," Benji muttered to Sirius. "He's a bit sore about a Black sitting in his compartment and all. I heard him talking about it on the boat."

Sirius nodded and was about to reply but was cut off by the hat shouting, "RAVENCLAW!"

The Sorting, from then on, passed rather quickly. A few more Gryffindors came, all girls, and soon, the Headmaster was standing up. Sirius scowled - he was starving, he didn't want to listen to a speech!

"I've got a speech to make, but now isn't the time for speeches, it's time for the feast! So tuck in!"

An apreciative laugh passed over the hall, and the first years gasped (with the exception of Sirius, who managed to hold it in). Helping himself to boiled potatoes, roast chicken, and steamed vegtables, Sirius spent the dinner chattering with Benji. By the time dessert cleared, Sirius was desperately hoping Benji was dorming with him.

Dumbledore stood up once again, and another hush fell over the Great Hall. "I have a few start-of-term notices I'd wish to announce." He paused.

"Mr. Filch as asked me to remind you for what he calls the three-hundreth and fifty-eighth time to not perform magic in the corridors, as it can leave quite a mess that our caretaker has to clean up. Also, he has a list of banned items hanging on his door. I'd like to inform the first years and remind our older students that the Forbidden Forest is named that for a reason."

His pale blue eye swept the hall. "Quidditch tryouts will be held at a scheduled time. If you wish to play for your house team and are second year and up, please talk to your Head of House. Prefects, please lead your houses to your common rooms, and have a good night!"

The scraping of benches filled the hall as the students rose, chattering amongst themselves. Benji and Sirius followed Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett out of the Great Hall, Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew not far behind.

"SIRIUS!" came a sudden bark from behind Sirius and Benji, and the former spun around. He knew that voice.

A furious Bellatrix stormed over, Narcissa not far behind.

"How _dare _you get into Gryffindor! You can be sure your mother and father will be informed of this, and I have no doubt that they'll demand a resorting! A Gryffindor, I can hardly believe it! What possessed you to get into that house?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Sirius said defensively, aware that many people had stopped to watch the arguement, Potter and his friends included. "Look, I didn't ask the hat to put me there!"

"You didn't exactly protest it, now did you. _Did you?_" Bellatrix snarled, her eyes so narrowed they were almost slits.

Sirius remained silent, scowling. Frank and Alice came out of nowhere.

"Black, I'd advise you to go with your house," Frank said coldly to Bellatrix, who glared at him.

"Be sure you're going to get some mail from your mother and father," she said, and with that, her and Narcissa stormed off. Alice and Frank sighed, shook their heads, and led their houses away.

"Your cousin's not very happy with you, is she?" Benji said, once they had started walking again.

Sirius smiled bitterly. "You could say that."

**So, what did you guys think? Review, review, review!**

**'Til I get my lazy butt off the couch and to WordPerfect,**

**PotterScar**


	4. Yeah Right

**Wow, this is going to have to be the fastest update I've ever done!**

**Okay, this is officially my last week of summer. I go back to school on the 29th, so updates will be less frequent... _way _less frequent. I'll get around to updating once a week or so, maybe once every two weeks.**

**Some of you may be wondering why I decided to put Benji as one of Sirius' friends. Well, Sirius needs to hang out with somebody 'til he becomes friends with James, doesn't he? Then Benji will drop off of the list a bit, making friends with the Gryffindor girls and such.**

**So, I hope you like this chapter! Remember to review!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Marauders or any other familiar characters in this story, and I am not getting money off of this story. Boo hoo.**

Hate Is Such a Strong Word

Chapter Four:

Yeah Right

By PotterScar

"How far away _is _this Gryffindor tower?" Sirius grunted as they walked yet another corridor. He was tired, he just wanted to sleep...

"It's in the seventh corridor, I think. We're in the fifth," Benji replied, frowning as they walked past a portrait of a bunch of Crups playing poker.

"Is it too much for you, Black? Maybe you should go to Slytherin - their common rooms are in the dungeons," Sirius heard Potter sneer behind him, and Sirius scowled.

"Shut up, Potter," Sirius snapped back, turning around to face him.

Benji frowned. "You guys are going to have to get used to each other - we're the only five Gryffindor first year boys, we'll have to share a dormitory," he said, pausing so Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew were a bit closer.

Potter narrowed his eyes. "I have to share a room with Black?" he spat out, looking highly annoyed. Sirius scowl deepend.

"You think I'm any happier about having to share a dormitory with _you?_" he replied, just as they reached a portrait. They knew it was a portrait hole- Frank had been talking to the new first years the whole way up. The Fat Lady, she was called. Lupin frowned at the both of them.

"Shut up, so we can hear the password," he said to them, quieting them so they could here Frank say, "Cumulus."

The portrait swung open, and the students climbed into the common room. Sirius could hear Pettigrew gasp behind him, and he knew exactly why.

The common room was spectacular. It was in the shape of a huge circle, with a blazing fire in the grate on the right side. The fireplace was surrounded by comfortable chairs and couches, with small tables scattered about. The other side of the room had longer tables and armchairs, and windows lined the left side. Sirius could see the Quidditch Pitch faintly in the darkness.

"Alright, boys dormitories are up the spiral stairs on the left. Girls, the same on your right," Frank announced, before going up the left staircase.

Students dispersed. Some sat by the fire to warm their hands before they went to bed, and others went up to their dormtories. Benji and Sirius decided to go turn in, as Lupin, Potter, and Pettigrew explored the common room.

"I can't believe we're sharing a dorm with that git," Sirius grumbled as they opened the door marked "First Year".

"Give him a chance," Benji replied, looking around the room that they would be sleeping in for seven years.

It was a hexagon, with the door being the bottom side, and one bed on each wall. Where the two sides met on the far left side was a bathroom, cut out of the wall. Sirius poked his head into the bathroom, and grinned. It was very large, with two shower stalls, three sinks, and a large medicine cabinet.

Sirius found his bed on the top left side, next to one of the bathrooms. Benji was on the lower left side, Potter on the top side, Lupin next to Potter on the upper right side, and Pettigrew on the side between the door and Lupin. Pajamas and Gryffindor crests were sitting on their beds, along with little notes of instruction of how to put them on your school robes. They were already charmed with a Permanent Sticking charm, and all you had to do was tap them once with your wand and stick them on the left chest side of your robes.

Sirius did this with each of his robes, before folding them back up and setting them back in his trunk. The pajamas were striped red and gold - Gryffindor colors. Sirius grinned, glad his mother didn't make him take his Slytherin colored pajamas.

He put all but one pair of pajamas away, and was locking his trunk just as Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew walked in.

Even Potter and he didn't exchange any bitter words - everyone was exhausted from the long day, and wanted to be rested for the first day of classes. Sirius pulled on the pajamas, tossing his other clothing on top of his trunk (he decided that he'd put it away tommorow) and crawled into bed. It was a very soft bed, with a red and gold duvet, mahogany frame and bedposts, and a crimson velvet hangings with gold tassles. Closing the canopy around his bed, he heard Benji murmur, "G'night, all," and Sirius replied sleepily, as did the others, before Pettigrew and Benji, who were closest to the light switches, turned out the lights and they all drifted to sleep.

* * *

The next morning passed as a big rush. Everyone was jumping in the shower for a quick scrub and running out again. Sirius got to go third and by the time he was finished, it was nearly time for breakfast.

Sirius stuffed his books hurriedly in his bag, cursing the teachers for not giving them their schedules the night before - his bag was twice as heavy as it needed to be! He was about to head out the door when Benji shouted, "Sirius! You forgot your tie!" He chucked him the red-and-gold striped tie (this house was really proud of its colors, apparently) and Sirius knotted it hurriedly, only one arm in his robes. He forced the other arm through just as Benji vaulted over his trunk and stood beside him. The two of them went to breakfast, accompanied by Lupin - Potter and Pettigrew were still doing showers.

The walk down to breakfast was silent, as each person in the group were trapped in their own thoughts. Benji was grumbling mentally about the weight of his bag and wondering what teachers he'd have. Lupin was thinking about the fast approaching full moon, but nobody else knew this, and Sirius was thinking about his cousin's words. Expect mail?

The three entered the Great Hall, and plopped into seats, Benji and Sirius down towards the far end near the staff table, and Lupin a few seats towards the Entrance Hall. Ten minutes later, Potter and Pettigrew entered as well, sitting near Lupin.

"So what classes do first years have?" Benji finally asked Sirius, who narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Charms, Transfiguration, Potions - " Sirius was cut short by squawking overhead. All the first years in the Hall looked up, awestruck. Owls were flooding in by the hundreds through a window near the ceiling. Sirius looked for the family eagle owl, and saw Blazer heading towards him. The owl didn't even spare him a glance; it just dropped a scarlet envelope in front of him and flapped away as fast as possible. Sirius looked at the envelope, all of the color draining from his face.

"A Howler," he whispered hoarsely, as Benji looked at him with a mixture of shock and pity.

"Black's got a Howler!" came a loud snicker from the Slytherin table, drawing the attention of half of the Hall to Sirius. The other half was notified of what was happening after the letter blew up and began to scream in Sirius' mother's voice, magnified to an extreme level.

**"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! YOU DARE DISGRACE THE NAME OF BLACK BY GETTING SORTED INTO GRYFFINDOR! _GRYFFINDOR! _I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE ASHAMED OF YOU IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! MARK MY WORDS, YOU BETTER GET A RESORTING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND DON'T EXPECT TO BE WELCOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS IF YOU DON'T!"**

The letter let out one last angry huff and shriveled up. Sirius blinked rapidly, and the Hall was completely silent. After several minutes, people began to whisper behind their hands, and Potter, Bellatrix, and Narcissa had enourmous smirks on their faces.

Finally, the Hall went back to its normal conversations while Sirius picked at the rest of his breakfast. Benji frowned and was about to say something when McGonagall swept by, handing out schedules to the Gryffindors. When she had gotten out of earshot, Benji leaned forward and asked, "So are you going to get a Resorting?"

Sirius sighed. "I dunno. I mean, I really don't want to be in Slytherin, and if I get a Resorting, what's stopping the hat from putting me in Gryffindor again? Anyway, the holidays at my house have never been much fun... so no, I'm not going to get a Resorting."

A sudden cold feeling swept over Sirius. His parents wouldn't be happy at all... and he still had to go home to them over the summer holidays.

Benji looked at him piteously. "C'mon, let's go to class," he said, noticing the students and teachers dispersing. Sirius nodded glumly, thrusting his hands in his pockets and following his friend to Transfiguration, their first subject.

* * *

**"SIRIUS ORION BLACK! YOU DARE DISGRACE THE NAME OF BLACK BY GETTING SORTED INTO GRYFFINDOR! _GRYFFINDOR! _I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE ASHAMED OF YOU IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! MARK MY WORDS, YOU BETTER GET A RESORTING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND DON'T EXPECT TO BE WELCOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS IF YOU DON'T!"**

James was startled by the loud voice, but soon sneered. Sirius Black's mum was chewing him out for getting into Gryffindor - well, that would get him to change houses. No more having to share a room with him! James could jump up and down with glee, but that would look a little odd.

He listened in as he heard Benji ask, "So are you going to get a Resorting?" Of course Black would! Why would he want to disobey his parents? Hell, why would he want to be in Gryffindor anyway?

"I dunno. I mean, I really don't want to be in Slytherin, and if I get a Resorting, what's stopping the hat from putting me in Gryffindor again? Anyway, the holidays at my house have never been much fun... so no, I'm not going to get a Resorting," he heard Black reply, and he nearly shrieked in frustration.

_Why _wasn't Black getting a Resorting! Surely he didn't _want _to stay in Gryffindor? James scowled, and he heard Remus say, as though from a great distance, "We should get to class." James pulled himself back to earth, and with a sigh, followed his new friend to Transfiguration, preceeded by Black and Benji.

Why did Benji want to hang out with that Black git, anyway? Everyone knew the Blacks were trouble, with their pure-blood mania crap, but Benji, who was a half-blood, was being his best friend! What was that all about?

"Earth to James," Remus said, grabbing the back of his robes as he nearly passed the Transfiguration class's door. "We're here, if you want to get out of your thoughts," he said dryly, raising an eyebrow at James, who smiled.

"Right..." he said, and the three of them stepped into the class.

"Everybody find a seat!" ordered Professor McGonagall, and the students scrambled to sit at desks. Black and Benji chose seats in the second to last row, with James, Remus, and Peter behind them and a group of Gryffindor girls in front. James noted that they were having a lesson with the Slytherins, and Black was determindly not looking at his cousin.

"As you very well know, I am Professor McGonagall," she said, peering at them all over her square-shaped glasses. James was instantly reminded of a hawk looking for its prey, and shivered slightly.

"Time for roll... Avery, Michael!"

"Here."

"Black, Narcissa."

"Present."

"Black, Sirius."

Black looked slightly startled - apparently he'd been lost in his thoughts. "Oh, here," he muttered, and several students snickered.

"Pay attention, Black," she snapped at him, and Black flushed slightly. James smirked.

"Evans, Lillian."

"Present."

"Fenwick, Benjamin."

"Here."

"Lupin, Remus."

"Present," Remus said quietly, his voice barely audible.

"Malcolm, Theodore."

"Here."

"Nott, Malcolm."

"Here."

"Pettigrew, Peter."

"Here," squeaked Peter, looking beyond nervous.

"Potter, James."

"Here," James said boredly, playing with his quill.

"Quentin, Miles."

"Here."

"Richardson, Emily."

"Present.

"Richardson, Margaret."

"Present."

"Snape, Severus."

"Present." James scowled. There was something he didn't like about that boy.

"Susanna, Erica."

"Present."

"Tagton, Maria."

"Present."

"Trenton, Veronica."

"Present."

"Umbridge, Dolores."

"Present."

"Vixen, Mary."

"Here."

"Zayton, Grace."

"Here."

**(AN: Sorry guys, I know that was tedious, but I need a list of each and every Slytherin and Gryffindor first year. You'll see why in future chapters. Now, at the bottom I've made a list of each girl and boy and their house. Notice that in each house, there is five girls and five boys. There's probably more, but JKR never gave any idication that it went past five, so I'm just going by her rules.)**

"Alright, then, apparently everybody is present," McGonagall said, setting down the roll of parchment.

"Today, we're going to be studying how to turn a match into a needle," she said, and James rolled his eyes. Basic stuff, he should be able to do it no problem.

Boy, was he wrong. By the end of the lesson, only Lily Evans. Snape, and Remus had turned their matches into needles. Black's looked like it had been spray-painted silver, and James' turned into a wooden needle with a red tip. Nott had made his explode, injuring himself, Malcolm, and Avery.

"Go to the Hospital Wing," she snapped at the three students as they nursed the burns on their faces. James couldn't help but snicker, and he noticed that Black was exchanging a smirk with Benji.

Maybe he could get to like Black...

Yeah, right.

**And that's the end of chapter four. Sorry it's so short, but this seemed like the best place to stop it. I hoped you liked it!**

**Here's a list of each and every first year Gryffie and Slythie:**

**GRYFFINDOR BOYS**

**James Potter**

**Sirius Black**

**Peter Pettigrew**

**Remus Lupin**

**Benji Fenwick**

**GRYFFINDOR GIRLS**

**Lily Evans**

**Erica Susanna**

**Maria Tagton**

**Veronica Trenton**

**Grace Zayton**

**SLYTHERIN BOYS**

**Severus Snape**

**Malcolm Nott**

**Theodore Malcolm**

**Miles Quentin**

**Michael Avery**

**SLYTHERIN GIRLS**

**Dolores Umbridge**

**Narcissa Black**

**Emily Richardson**

**Margaret Richardson**

**Mary Vixen**

**There's the list - the characters will each play speaking roles later on, trust me!**

**Anyway, I'll see you when I decide to type chapter 5!**

**Love ya lots,**

**PotterScar**


	5. A NotSoMerry Christmas

**Alright, guys, school's started and things are tough. I'm having trouble getting on the computer, much less updating, and I have another story in the makings. You'll like it, I'm sure of it! Anyway, I'm trying for once a week for both of them. The first chapter of the new one should be up in the next few weeks, but I'm not giving anything away, not even the title!**

**Also, for the reviewer who asked me to have Benji and Sirius do a prank on Slytherin; Sirius isn't confident enough to do that to them. He knows his mother wants him there, and he's concerned he'll end up there.**

**Anyway, this chapter goes rather fast, ending after the winter holidays. I really hope you like it!**

**By the way, I've written a one-shot about the Fat Lady's perspective of life at Hogwarts. Check it out, I personally think it's funny.**

**DISCLAIMER: Read the last four chapters, 'cause I don't feel like repeating it.**

Hate Is Such a Strong Word

Chapter Five:

A Not-So-Merry Christmas

By PotterScar

It was nearly a month into the school year, and things were rough for Sirius. Gryffindor still hadn't accepted their newest member, and apparently, Sirius' mother hadn't been able to secure a Resorting.

So, he had recieved a letter (thankfully not a Howler) saying he wasn't to come home for the holidays and that he better not be making any Mudblood or half-blood friends, or else he would be very sorry. A few days later, another letter came, with his mother ranting about him making friends with Benji Fenwick, a half-blood. Sirius knew Bellatrix and Narcissa had ratted him out to his mother.

Time passed slowly through Hogwarts. Sirius buried himself in schoolwork, seperating himself from his new friend. Benji was concerned for Sirius, but whenever he tried to get Sirius to talk about what was wrong, Sirius would brush him off, making up some excuse and dashing away.

James seemed to get angrier with Sirius with each passing day. He looked for ways to criticize Sirius, but after an incident in the halls a few weeks from the holidays, he found himself doubting his beliefs.

_James, Remus, and Peter hurried along the corridors of the dungeons, ten minutes late for Potions. Remus worriedly checked his watch as they half-ran._

_James was fuming. Black and Benji hadn't even bothered to wake the three of them up! Remus glanced over at him, frowning. He was about to say something when a voice behind them made them pause._

_"Three little Gryffindor firsties late for class?"_

_Bellatrix Black and several other Slytherins stepped out from the shadows, sneering. The three Gryffindors stopped five feet short of them._

_"Well, it looks like we should teach them a lesson about getting to class on time, doesn't it?" sneered Hermes Goode, a burly third year. Bellatrix smirked._

_"Accio wands!" she cried, before the three Gryffindors could think to move._

_She sneered, and was about to say something when another voice sounded behind three first years._

_"The height of cowardice, Bella," said a cool voice. Sirius walked down the corridor, eyebrows raised. Bellatrix scowled._

_"What are _you _doing here?" she demanded, and Sirius smiled humorlessly._

_"Slughorn sent me to find my dormmates," he said. His face was impassive, but his eyes showed annoyance, fear, and defiance. James frowned, looking from his wand, which was in Bellatrix's hand, to Sirius. Damn._

_"Get out of here, Sirius," Bellatrix snarled, crossing her arms over her chest and bringing herself to full height. She was rather intimidating this way, and James took an involuntary step back. Sirius ignored her._

_"If I remember one lesson Mother taught me correctly, a Black always holds honor," he said coldly. "Ganging up two to one on students younger than yourselves and attacking them while you're in possession of their wands doesn't seem that honorable."_

_Bella scowled. "They're filthly Mudbloods and blood-traitors! Honestly, you truly are turning into a Gryffindor! What will Aunt Celena say when I tell her about this?"_

_Sirius smiled mirthlessly. "She'll say exactly what I did. A Black always holds honor. If you'll excuse us, I believe we have Potions." He turned and walked back the way he came. Bella scowled, moodily throwing the wands at the first years, who snatched them up. With their wands returned to them, the three Gryffindors paused, then Remus followed Sirius down the hall. Peter squeaked, scurrying down the halls after the two others, and James, looking bewildered, followed._

The holidays began to loom closer, and James was confused with how he felt towards Sirius. He definitely didn't hate him anymore; he didn't seem to have any reason, and he didn't understand why Sirius had chosen to help him and the other two that day. He wasn't about to give up his pride and befriend him, though. Besides, if his parents found out, they'd be beyond furious.

* * *

A pitch black owl soared towards Sirius Black one week before holidays as he stuffed sausage down his throat. The owl clicked its beak impatiently until he finally looked up from his breakfast. Looking curious as to who in his family would be writing to him, he untied the letter from Hermes, the owl, and scanned it.

_Son,_

_We have changed our minds of allowing you to stay at Hogwarts during the holidays. No point in giving you even _more _oppurtunites to tarnish our reputations._

_Mother and Father_

Sirius blinked at the short letter. Benji looked over at him, confused. "What is it?" he asked.

"A letter from my parents... they want me to come home for holidays," Sirius said suspiciously, tossing the letter to the side. "I guess I have to, or else they're going to drag me away themselves." He smirked.

Benji laughed, and the atmosphere lightened as the two continued with their breakfasts.

* * *

The winter holidays rolled around too slow for James's liking. He sat through class after class, impatiently tapping his quill against his parchment, making rather large blots on his notes. Remus would roll his eyes but let James borrow his notes later anyway.

James would spend every meal raving to Remus and Peter about Christmas at his home.

"... and then the house-elves cook this fantastic dinner, 'cause my mom hasn't a clue how to even boil water! It's fantastic," he finished during dinner the day before they would board the train to go home for the holidays.

"I live at an Inn, and Christmas is always celebrated with the guests we have. We have this big party on Christmas Eve, in the lobby, and then Christmas morning is spent with the family," Peter said, grinning. "It's always amazing, because there's always kids my age there."

"My dad takes the entire holiday week off work," Remus said, "and spends every hour of the day at home with Mum and I. We go to church on Christmas Eve, and after we do presents on Christmas morning, we go to my mother's house for supper."

None of them noticed Sirius listening to their conversation, a sad look on his face.

Finally, the morning of the holidays arrived. James was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, standing in the Entrance Hall next to his trunk. Peter was sitting on his trunk, half asleep, and Remus had one foot resting on his trunk, his elbow resting on his crooked knee. He was staring into space until James interupted him.

"I thought Black wasn't going home for the holidays." James was standing on his tip-toes, looking over the heads of the crowd. Remus did the same, spotting Sirius standing alone. He was looking dejectedly at Benji Fenwick, who was chattering with the Gryffindor girls.

James frowned at Remus. "I think that's what the letter was about. Remember, the one that came for him last week?" Remus said. James nodded, then frowned again.

"I thought Benji was friends with Black," he said, as Benji all but ignored Sirius.

"He was, until his parents sent him a letter a few days ago. They'd heard about his friendship with Sirius from Benji's cousin, Frank. Benji hasn't talked to Sirius since then." Remus frowned slightly as he continued to watch Sirius. Peter looked bewildered.

"He cut off a friendship with him just because his mum and dad told him to?" he asked, looking shocked and a tad angry at this. Remus nodded, a pitying look coming over his face. "Poor Sirius," Peter added, and James huffed, but didn't say anything.

"Alright, quiet, everyone!" McGonagall's voice suddenly cut short their conversation, and the three Gryffindors looked at their Head of House. "First years, over here! Second, over with Professor Sprout, and third, go over with Professor Flitwick. Stop dawdling, Goyle! Fourth years, with Professor Slughorn, fifth years, over there with Professor Vector. Mr. Longbottom, it does not take ten minutes to walk twenty feet! Sixth years, go with Hagrid, and seventh years with Professor Sinistra!"

The students shuffled away to where they were directed as McGonagall spoke. The first years congregated around McGonagall. Remus noticed Sirius having a heated discussion with his cousin, Narcissa, but he couldn't hear what they were saying, though Narcissa had a twisted smirk on her face, while Sirius looked annoyed and slightly distressed.

"Come along, make sure you have your trunks, the carriages are just outside! You are carriages one through ten, four to six to a carriage. Well, what are you waiting for? Go!" The students, who'd just been staring at her, jumped to attention and raced around, trying to claim the best seats. Remus saw Benji go with the Gryffindor girls in Carriage Six. He saw that Sirius looked out of place, notably upset after his discussion with his cousin, who'd gone with Dolores Umbridge, Emily and Margaret Richardson, and Mary Vixen.

He felt a wave of pity wash over him, and he approached him. "You want to sit with us?" he asked, not sure what Sirius' reaction would be.

To his great relief, though, Sirius shrugged and said, "Sure." Remus smiled and led Sirius to Carriage Nine, where Peter and James were waiting for him. Peter looked bewildered at their guest, while James scowled slightly and turned away.

The carriage ride down to the train station was silent. Sirius looked uncomfortable, as did Peter, and James looked angry and... was that confused? Remus frowned, before turning away from the three and looking out the window.

Finally, the carriages driven by invisible horses pulled up alongside a scarlet steam engine. Remus felt a smile break out across his face, while Sirius looked even more worried. James seemed to relax visibly as he scrambled out of the carriage first, grabbing his trunk and dragging it behind him.

Sirius looked over to Carriage Five, where Narcissa was getting out. She merely smirked, sarcastically waving at him before disappearing into the crowd of students. A scowl marred his features, and he stomped onto the train, passing James.

* * *

Remus didn't see Sirius again until they stopped at King's Cross. He saw Sirius walk dejectedly over to a haughty looking woman with stern, unkind features, who glared at her eldest son and grabbed his arm, half-dragging him away.

He then saw James determindly trying to ignore the look of sadness on Sirius' face, but Remus saw him glance over at the spectacle Mrs. Black was making. Remus saw the glint of pity in his eye.

* * *

James smiled at his parents as he hugged his mother. The holidays were finished, and the students who'd gone home were arriving on the platform with their belongings. They were excitedly chattering amongst themselves about their holidays.

James finished saying farewell to his parents and grabbed his trunk, dragging it onto the train. He peered in each compartment, looking for Remus and Peter. He finally found the two of them in a compartment in the back, talking about their respective Christmases.

"...and then she actually kissed me on the cheek!" Peter sighed, smiling. "I've got to remember to thank Mum for putting up mistletoe."

Remus grinned, before turning to James, who'd just entered the compartment. "Hullo, James. Nice Christmas?" he asked, smirking. "Peter's was apparently fantastic."

"I gathered that much," James chuckled as Peter turned pink. He moved to the luggage compartment to put his trunk away, just above the window, when James saw one of the last students walk it.

Sirius Black was completely alone. None of his family had come to say goodbye to him. James gaped, his trunk halfway into the rack, when he spotted a bruise the shape of a hand streaked across the side of his face. James could see, from twenty feet away, the pain, hurt, and burning anger in his eyes as he tried not to look at anyone, dragging his trunk behind him. Students began to whisper behind their hands, but Sirius resolutely ignored them as he boarded the train. Narcissa and Bellatrix, who were with their parents, were grinning at one another, snickering, and Sirius' aunt looked rather pleased while her husband looked annoyed.

"Oi, James! What're you looking at?" Remus asked as he and Peter crawled forward towards the window, drawing James out of his reverie. He finished storing his trunk, refusing to look at Sirius.

"That's horrible," Peter muttered, and James turned his back on the window, striding to a seat as far away from it as he could get. He knew that, if he looked at Sirius in that state one more time, his hate for him would disappear. James didn't know why he hung so desperately onto his hate for Sirius. It wasn't because he knew his parents would be upset if he befriended the boy.

He sighed, and, after gaining the attention of the other two Gryffindors, told them all about his fantastic Christmas, while unwillingly wondering how horrible Sirius' really had been.

* * *

**Alright, guys, so do you like this chapter? Hate it? Feedback, people, I've only got thirty-something reviews here!**

**One question: Do you think I took to long with the developing friendship between James and Sirius and getting rid of Benji? I'm worried that I might have held onto Benji too long.**

**I'll begin the next chapter probably in a few days.**

**PLEASE review,**

**Love y'all lots and lots,**

**PotterScar**


	6. Uptight, Eh?

**Yay, I'm getting so many reviews!**

**I'm starting to write on WordPerfect 9 instead of WordPad (don't ask... just know that my computer had problems and now they're fixed).**

**Alright, here's chapter six! Enjoy!**

Hate Is Such a Strong Word

Chapter Six:

Uptight, Eh?

By PotterScar

Sirius walked into the platform, and he felt many pairs of eyes upon him - or, more accurately, on his bruise.

He reddened slightly, staring resolutely at the ground and trudging towards the train. He could hear his cousins snickering, his aunt trying to convince his uncle that he'd deserved it, and the crowds of students muttering behind their hands.

Sirius sighed, continuing on his way. This Christmas was most definitely the worst he'd ever endured at the House of Black.

_The second Sirius arrived on the platform from Hogwarts, he was dragged away by his mother, who mumbled to him the entire way._

"_Honestly... Gryffindor... you'll get your just reward, boy, and I'll be surprised if you don't beg Dumbledore to give you a Resorting to Slytherin!"_

_Sirius gulped, lowering his eyes to the ground as his mother dragged him to the Floo system in the Wizard inn next-door to the train station._

The week that had followed had been miserable, but the second-to-last day of break had been the worst...

_Sirius sat on his bed, his History of Magic textbook open on his lap. Chewing on his lower lip, he jotted something about troll wars down._

_Just as he was heading his paper to begin his other essay for HoM, there was a sharp knock at his door._

_Sirius paused, his quill beginning to drip on his paper, and paled as his dad strode into the room._

_His father had been away on "business", as he called it, and Sirius realized that he had just gotten home; he was clutching a small bag, which had some black material sticking out of it (_a robe?_ Sirius thought) and his hat was still perched on his head - but Sirius could still see the fire in his eyes as he stared at his eldest son._

"_So... _boy_..." he spat out the word with contempt. "We were earlier informed that you got into Gryffindor. The house of blood-traitors."_

_Sirius thought it wise to stay silent, so he stared at a spot over his father's shoulder and didn't respond._

"_And when we asked you, quite politely," Sirius nearly snorted at this. So a Howler was polite now? "To request a Resorting, your cousins in Slytherin told us that you were _still _in Gryffindor. Is that true?" His voice was deadly quiet now._

"_Yes, sir," Sirius said quietly. He sounded much braver than he felt._

_His father's neutral expression turned to rage, and he strode the three steps to his son's bed and slapped him hard across the face. Sirius flinched, but didn't cry out._

"_Such insolence! Disobeying a direct order from a superior!" he yelled, his face barely an inch from his son, who couldn't help but stare back._

_With that, he turned and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him._

Sirius looked up, and saw James just turning away from the window. Sirius, if possible, got even redder as he saw Remus and Peter looking out. He hurriedly looked away, boarding the train and yanking his trunk after him.

When Sirius looked in each compartment, either the Slytherins smirked at him, the Gryffindors stared at him with raised eyebrows, or the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws gaped at him.

He found himself getting desperate as he looked in the car containing James, Remus, and Peter. He could hear James sharing his Christmas, talking about the snowman he and the neighbor kids had made.

Sirius sighed, thinking, _Why the heck am I doing this? _before shoving open the door. James abruptly stopped talking, turning to look at him. Sirius expected him to take one look at the bruise streaking across his face and sneer at him, saying something snide. Instead, he could see pity unwillingly reflecting out of the Gryffindor's eyes.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked quietly, and the three others shook their heads and made room for him. Peter seemed a little hesitant, Remus seemed serene, and James was unusually quiet, but no smirks came his way.

The train ride was uncomfortably quiet. Remus or Peter would try to strike up a conversation occasionally, but neither James nor Sirius were listening whatsoever.

Nearly halfway into the ride home, several thumping noises, like heavy footfalls, sounded outside of the compartment, drawing the occupants of the compartment out of their individual reveries.

The door banged open, and there stood Bellatrix Black, Narcissa by her side. For once, she was without her posse of Slytherins.

She sneered at the other three, before glaring at Sirius. "Has your trip home taught you nothing!" she shouted at him, and Sirius looked defiantly back. He was silent for several seconds as Bellatrix's face got redder and redder, before he spoke. His voice was quiet but firm.

"Yeah, it taught me something. It taught me that our family is full of nuts," he said coolly, watching Bellatrix with a self-satisfied expression on his face.

Bellatrix's eyes widened, as did Narcissa, and the eldest Black sister grabbed her wand out of her pocket. Sirius just watched her calmly.

"No magic on the train, Bella," he said, and Bellatrix glared at her cousin, before grabbing her little sister and pulling her out of the compartment, but not before saying, "Sirius, you will get your just reward - or should I say punishment?" She smirked, before slamming the compartment door shut.

"Madwoman," he grumbled under his breath, before looking at the others. They were gaping at him. "What?"

"That - that - that was awesome!" James stuttered. "She's a third year!"

Sirius couldn't help but smile.

The entire school was shocked when the Black heir and the Potter heir came back from the holidays, acting as though they'd been friends their whole lives.

The two of them sat down at dinnertime nearly a week later, laughing about something James had done to Severus Snape.

"Then, I levitated this bucket of water and soap over his head, and spilled it all over him! Then I was like, 'Your hair looks so much better, Snape!'" Both boys roared with laughter (A/N: Hey, 11 year-old boys laugh over stupid things!).

"That's vile," spat a redhaired girl who was sitting down the row from them. Both James and Sirius raised their eyebrows.

"And who might you be?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the side as he asked the question.

"Lily Evans, and it's not nice to prank people!" she scolded, and James rolled his eyes.

"Yes, _Mother_," he said, and Sirius snickered.

Lily huffed, before sending James a death glare and turning back to her meal.

"Uptight, eh?" Sirius muttered into James' ear, and James nodded.

"Looks like it."

**Yes, I know this chapter is a tad on the short side. I've been getting so much homework lately, it's insane!**

**I promise, though, to update on or around the 7th of October - that's my birthday! Woohoo!**


	7. The Marauders Are Born

**Okay, guys, I'm tired of the title of this fic. So here's where I need your help: when you review my story, I'd like you to include an idea for a new title. If I get lots of really good ideas and I can't choose, I'll run a poll next chapter.**

**So please, before you review, think of a good title for this fic that'll go beyond this year, 'til seventh year!**

**For example, the title of this fic will be: (title) Year One. Next one with be: (same title) Year Two. You get it?**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

Chapter Seven

The Marauders Are Born

By PotterScar

January started cold and wet, snowing nearly every day. Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter would frequently participate in snowball fights with the other Gryffindors against other houses on the weekends.

One day was particularly interesting...

_Sirius yelped as he dodged a snowball, ducking behind a wall of snow that the Gryffindors had built as their fort._

"_We're losing!" he cried to James. James looked grim; they were losing to slimy Slytherins._

_Several Gryffindors had been taken out by Crabbe and Goyle, who could each throw one hell of a snowball. Several more were frantically dodging charmed snowballs from Bellatrix Black, while trying to charm some of their own._

"_I have an idea!" Remus yelled over the din, crawling behind the wall. Sirius and James said up straighter._

"_I read how to animate inanimate objects in a book in the library!" Remus said, leaning in closer to the other two boys._

"_Finally, Remus' excessive reading is paying off!" James whooped, and Remus shoved him._

"_So what's the plan?" Sirius asked._

"_We build a snowman, then animate him to throw snowballs at the other team! We could charm it to not come off when somebody tries to unjinx it!" Remus said, and Sirius' eyes lit up._

"_Perfect," he said, smiling from ear to ear. "Let's get to work." Bending down, he began to roll up a large ball of snow for the base._

_Ten minutes later, Gryffindor was almost completely out, and the snowman was nearly finished. "There!" James cried, sticking in the second arm. Remus pulled out his wand, waving it and muttering, "Ut Vita!"_

_Instantly, the snowman started to move, gathering up snow and packing it into balls at lightning speed, before chucking them at the other team. The three boys grinned at each other. "Now to charm it so nobody can take the jinx off!" Sirius said._

_Remus pointed his wand at the snowman again and said, "Obduro!"_

_The snowman seemed to glow gold for a second, before fading back to normal._

The best part of the day, though, was later that evening, when McGonagall went out to try and stop the rampaging snowman that had been throwing snowballs at passing students for nearly five hours.

_Remus, Sirius, and James gathered at the dormitory window, excitedly looking down on the grounds as McGonagall strode up to the snowman, her wand out._

_The snowman spun to face her, smiling wickedly, before starting to throw snowballs at her._

_McGonagall began to block them, and the snowman sensed this as it moved faster and faster._

_Five minutes later, McGonagall was on the ground, sputtering, snow covering her face, while three Gryffindor boys were in hysterics in their tower._

Soon, though, January faded into February and the snow melted, taking the snowman with it, though occasionally, a rock that was laying on the nearby grass would fling itself at a student.

With February came pranks. Nobody knew who was pulling the pranks, but no students were spared. Many thought it was a Gryffindor or a group of Gryffindors, as Slytherins (especially Severus Snape and Bellatrix Black) tended to be the targets.

On the second of February was the charm that shocked you if you touched a certain doorknob. The next day, every student in the school who'd drunk pumpkin juice with breakfast was subject to a Floating Charm. It took McGonagall and the other teachers an hour to figure out how to get them down, and even so, the students afterwards felt lightheaded.

It went on like this for several weeks. Most students would say that the prank preformed on St. Valentine's Day was the best and most effective...

_Students couldn't help but be shocked when they walked in the Great Hall and saw it colored pink, with a pink sky, and confetti streaming down from the rafters._

_The teachers were just as puzzled as the students, though Dumbledore seemed amused while McGonagall was fuming._

_It took the teachers nearly a week to get the pink off. Somebody seemed to be handy with Lasting Charms. They still couldn't get Severus Snape's hair its normal color again; it had been bright pink, and a week later had faded only slightly._

Remus, Sirius, James, and now Peter were all very satisfied with their work, of course. They spent hours in the library researching new ways to prank people, and their grades were beginning to soar.

Of course, when you spend a lot of time with somebody, you begin to notice things about them. For example, Sirius noticed that James loved Quidditch and chewed his food four times before swallowing (when asked, he denied doing this). Sirius also noticed that Peter tended to hide when Slytherins came about and that he'd taken an interest in a Hufflepuff second year. He also noticed that Remus tended to leave school a lot.

Apparently, Remus' mother had a chronic illness that could leave her dead at any time, so Remus went home to visit her about once a month. Sirius and the others felt rather sorry for Remus, though Sirius privately wished that his mother would get a chronic illness.

Soon, February melted into March, bringing with it high winds and freezing rain. The mood at Hogwarts was downcast and sullen, as students tried to escape the bitter winds. Quidditch matches were occasionally canceled, a usually rare occurrence, because when the students flew up more than ten feet in the air, they were promptly blown off their brooms.

It was also during this month that the group of pranksters decided that they needed a name for their group.

"We need a really good name," Sirius had said one evening, breaking the silence in the first year's dormitory. Remus, James, and Peter looked up curiously.

"What?" James had asked, confused, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"A name for us. So we can take credit for our pranks, but technically not be blamed!" Sirius said, and Remus had nodded.

"That's a good idea... but what should we call ourselves?" Remus had asked.

So the crusade for a name began. Several suggestions had come from the other boys, such as "The Gryffindor Troublemakers" and "The Stupid Ones" (courtesy of James) but they had all been shot down.

Finally, a miracle happened when Sirius was passing the staff room, late for Charms (again). He paused, hearing McGonagall's voice. She was, apparently, talking to Professor Vector about the prank Sirius and the other Gryffindor boys had pulled off the day before.

"... I wish we knew who was causing this trouble!" McGonagall raved (her hair was still purple from the day before).

Professor Vector merely chuckled. "They're marauding for trouble, aren't they? Personally, I think they're rather bright."

_The Marauders,_ Sirius silently thought, running as fast as he could down the corridors, towards Charms class. _I like it._

He skidded into the classroom, nearly falling over. "Mr. Black, late again! Five points from Gryffindor!" Flitwick scolded.

"Thanks," Sirius said absently, jumping into his seat. Flitwick continued his lecture, but Sirius wasn't listening; he was too busy writing a note for James.

_**I think I've got a name. -SB**_

_Really? -JP_

_**Yeah, pass this on to Remus.**_

_**What have you got? -RL**_

_**What do you think of "The Marauders"?**_

James and Remus paused, before James scribbled something, and passed it to Remus, who also wrote something, before the note was slid back to Sirius.

_It has a nice ring to it._

_**Sounds good. We'll ask Peter at lunch.**_

So, the Marauders were born. Soon, every prank they pulled would have a side note somewhere, saying, "Courtesy of the Marauders."

James was extremely happy with the name he'd made for himself. The Marauders were soon becoming the topic of discussion at school. After each prank pulled by the small group of pranksters, rumors of the troublemakers' identities would spread like wildfire.

Another thing that seemed to be multiplying in number was the number of attacks on populated Muggle and Wizarding areas. A group that called themselves "The Death Eaters" were beginning to attack wizards and Muggles alike. The students of Hogwarts found this alarming, and sometimes, a student would run out of the Great Hall in tears because they'd been sent a letter telling them that a family member was dead.

Sirius found himself, once again, not fully trusted by the Gryffindors, who'd, since winter break, had begun to warm up to him. Once again, Sirius found himself cursing his heritage.

But his three friends, who were almost like his brothers, stood by his side. Sirius found himself sinking back into seclusion, until James found a way to drag him out of it permanently. That way involved turning Bellatrix Black's hair bright green and pink.

Hard times meant that a good laugh was needed by all.

**Well, did you like it? Don't forget about the title thing!**

**Lotsa love,**

**PotterScar**


	8. Secrets, Mirrors, and a Warning

**I didn't get any suggestions from you guys!**

**I did think of a title, though, while sitting in math. The new title, as you have noticed, is Shades of Gray: Year One.**

**I really shouldn't be giving you a chapter, but I'm a nice person, so I will. This chapter was originally longer, but I thought where I stopped was a good place to stop.**

Chapter Eight

Secrets, Mirrors, and a Warning

By PotterScar

Sirius became increasingly suspicious of Remus' disappearances. Every month, his mother was sick, or his aunt had died, or his grandmother was on her deathbed.

"Either he has a hell of a lot of relatives, or he's hiding something," Sirius stated one day in the dormitory, just after Remus had departed, saying that his aunt was sick and wanted him to come home.

James shrugged, working on his Transfiguration homework. He was becoming extremely tired of Sirius' suspicions that Remus was hiding something.

"He always comes back with scratches and stuff," Peter squeaked. James shrugged again.

"Maybe he has a violent cat. Why don't you guys trust Remus?" James asked, looking up from his homework. Peter didn't respond, but Sirius did.

"When you're a Black, you're suspicious of everything," he replied simply. Silence filled the room.

* * *

When Remus came back the next afternoon, he had a nasty scratch running down the side of his face, and he looked worn out.

Sirius looked up from his homework in time to see James look at Remus quizzically. "What's with the cut?" he asked.

"Oh... my aunt's cat scratched me," he muttered, sitting at the couch. "What did I miss?" He changed the subject hurriedly.

"Not much. Pete managed to get Lumos," Sirius replied. Peter blushed slightly.

"Good job, Peter," Remus congratulated him, and Peter actually smiled.

_That guy must have low self-esteem, _Sirius thought, shaking his head slightly. It was rather pathetic, how the Pettigrew boy hung onto the praise that the other three boys gave him and worshiped them like gods.

"So, how's your aunt?" James asked, and Remus paled slightly.

"Oh - f-fine, thanks," Remus stammered, and Sirius raised his eyebrows and cast a meaningful glance at James, who shrugged.

"So what classwork do I have to make up?" Remus asked, sounding almost excited. Sirius' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

"Is it just me, or are you happy about making up work?" Sirius said incredulously. James burst out laughing at the look on his face.

"Calm down, Sirius, it's not that abnormal... well, yes it is," James said with a straight face, looking at Remus solemnly. "We've lost poor Remus..."

"You wish," Remus grinned, before turning serious. "So did we learn anything important? Any notes I should have for History of Magic?"

James, Sirius, and Peter all looked shocked. "Remus, _you're _the one that takes notes in that class!" James said, and Sirius and Peter quickly agreed with him.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll get the notes from Lily."

Sirius blinked. "Who's Lily?" he asked stupidly, and Remus rolled his eyes.

"The one that thinks you're vile," he replied. It was Sirius' turn to roll his eyes.

"Evans? The bookworm?"

"That's mean," Remus scolded lightly, andJames snickered. "What's so funny?" Remus asked.

"You sound like my mum," he said, smirking, and Remus looked surprised, but a slow smile spread across his face, until he was hit in the head with a tennis ball sized object.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing his head where a tiny owl had hit him. The thing was fluttering around, seeming to sink under the weight of the letter it was carrying. On the outside, in curly, slightly slanted writing, was the name _Sirius Black_.

"I don't recognize that..." Sirius mumbled, holding out his hand. The owl drifted happily into it, twittering excitedly. "It's from the post office in Diagon Alley... oh!" A look of realization spread across his face as he ripped open the letter, reading it immediately with a smile growing on his face.

"Good ol' Uncle Alphard," Sirius said fondly when he finished the letter, folding it. "My uncle. A former Ravenclaw," Sirius explained when he caught the confused looks on his friends' faces.

"What'd he say?" Peter asked. Remus was about to scold him for being nosy when Sirius responded.

"Apparently, he doesn't approve of the way mum and dad dealt with my getting into Gryffindor," he said. James blinked.

"But wasn't that four months ago?"

"Yeah, he just got out of Aunt Ella's sight," Sirius snickered. "He's actually congratulating me on my sorting to Gryffindor. And I quote, 'It's about time somebody put my brother and his wife in their place!'" Sirius laughed.

James grinned. "Your uncle sounds nice," he said.

"Yeah," Sirius said, "he and my cousin Andromeda were the only two Blacks - well, scratch that, there's me - to not get into Slytherin. They were Ravenclaws. When they got into Ravenclaw, it didn't really matter, because everyone in there is smart and all. But I'm the first Gryffindor, and the Blacks are complete opposites of Gryffindors."

"So your uncle is proud of you?" Remus said, smirking slightly.

Sirius nodded. "Yup! And look, he sent pocket money. That poor owl, now we know what was weighing it down."

Sirius turned the enveloped upside-down and emptied several Galleons into his hand. "Nice!" he exclaimed, examining the large gold coin. Nobody noticed Remus looking enviously at the money.

* * *

"This is insane," Sirius grumbled, as he tried to make a hand mirror grow fur in Transfiguration. So far, all he had managed to do was give it teeth. It was now snapping it's jaws at him whenever he tried to get his wand near it.

Nobody else in the class was fairing too well either, not even Lily and Remus. Lily had turned her mirror brown, while Remus had managed to make his crawl around on the desk. Peter had blown up three already and was close to blowing up his fourth, and all James had done was make it hurdle at the back of Narcissa's head (entirely by accident, as he had explained to McGonagall. He still had gotten detention, though).

Therefore, McGonagall wasn't in the best of moods at the moment. She was sitting behind her desk, carefully trying to regain control over her anger. She twitched alarmingly when Peter blew up his fourth mirror.

Sirius was, therefore, glad when class ended. Narcissa scowled at him as they gathered their things; she had a rather large lump on the back of her head.

"Your stupid mudblood-loving friend did that on purpose," she snarled into Sirius' ear on the way out of the classroom.

Sirius looked at her, his head cocked slightly to the side. "Now that's a cruel thing to say, Cissy," he said, in a condescending tone of voice. "Why on earth would he do that?" His voice held a slight touch of mirth and he was having difficulty keeping a straight face.

Narcissa growled, before stomping out of the room, several of her Slytherin friends following her after shooting Sirius nasty glared. Sirius just rolled his eyes and waited for James, Remus, and Peter.

"What was that all about?" Remus asked, as they walked to lunch. Sirius readjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, and answered after a minute.

"She was a tad peeved at James when he, ahem, 'accidentally' launched a mirror at the back of her head," Sirius said. A small smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth. James snickered quietly.

"Anyway, what do we have after lunch?" Sirius asked. Peter shrugged, and James looked at Remus, who sighed.

"Charms. Honestly, can none of you remember our schedule?" he asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" James grinned, and Peter and Sirius laughed. Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head as the entered the Great Hall. Instantly, a wave of good smells hit them, and they dashed over to the table.

* * *

The next morning, the school was startled when, during breakfast, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement, which he rarely did – he usually reserved them for dinnertime. He looked rather grave, and his eyes weren't twinkling. Sirius' heart sank – it was bad news.

Dumbledore tapped on his glass, gaining the attention of the students. The hall was covered with confused silence. "A message to the students," he began gravely.

"As those of you who have been receiving the Daily Prophet know, a man that calls himself the Dark Lord Voldemort has been attacking villages and homes all over England, flanked with his army, who call themselves 'the Death Eaters'." He paused.

"Your parents will dislike me telling you about this, as they believe you are too young to involve yourselves in such matters. However, I believe it is vital that you are aware about what is going on around you. Your parents most likely believe that Voldemort is not a threat, but I think differently. Therefore, I think it is important for you to know that he is ruthless and that he isn't picky about who he attacks. Within months, you will be going home for the holidays. Voldemort wisely hasn't made himself too well known lately, as he isn't extraordinarily strong at the moment. But soon, he will make himself strong and form an army."

The students were dead silent, exchanging nervous glances. "You need to be careful over the summer holidays. Your teachers aren't at your homes to protect you," Dumbledore continued. "That is all. You may return to your breakfasts." He sat down again.

The hall was immediately filled with uneasy chatter as the students talked about what Dumbledore had just said. Many of the first years were close to tears. The Marauders sat there, dumbfounded.

"This sucks," Sirius finally said, and the Marauders agreed readily with him, as did the students around them.


	9. April Fool's Day

**Heyaz again!**

**Okay, I've taken a look at how many hits this story has gotten, and I'm extremely impressed: nearly 3000! But then, I realized that not all of you are reviewing. So, for this ONE chapter, I'd like every single person that reads to review. Maybe it'll start a good habit.**

**Please, do this for me! The reviews inspire me to continue! Who knows, maybe you'll get a faster update... wink wink**

**Haha, here's chapter nine. Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine:

April Fool's Day

by PotterScar

Soon, March faded away for April, and with April came rain. A hell of a lot of rain.

First year Gryffindor students held their textbooks over their heads as they dashed down the muddy, slippery grounds to Herbology on April Fool's Day (**AN: Not sure if English people "celebrate" that... I'm assuming they do. If they don't... sorry**).

Remus, Sirius, and Peter were extraordinarily grumpy as they entered Greenhouse One. But James was chipper, practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Hinkypunk in your pants?"Sirius grumbled, and James blushed, calming down, but he still wore a slightly devilish grin on his face.

"Dear Sirius, do you not know what day it is?" he asked, and Sirius looked at him blankly. James gaped at him. "April Fool's Day!"

Sirius blinked. "What's that?" he asked, looking at James in confusion.

James stared openly at him, before responding, "Only the greatest prank day ever! How do you not know about April Fool's Day?"

Sirius shrugged in response. "My family doesn't hold pranks in high regard, I guess. So, you prank people on April Fool's Day?"

James grinned. "Yes! It's universal! Everyone does it! Even people in other countries!"

Remus nodded. "Yeah, my cousin in America loves to prank people. Mum says it's because he was born on April Fool's Day."

Slowly, a grin spread across Sirius' pale face. "Since it's the 'greatest prank day ever'... shall we Marauders pull something?"

Peter blinked, looking worried. "Do we have enough time to plan something by dinner?" he asked, and James pursed his lips, looking rather like McGonagall.

"Let's see... it's-" he checked his watch - "8:49. That gives us about ten hours to pull something. If we goof of during class instead of actually paying attention, we can plan something, I think."

"Yeah... we have Study Hall anyway, we could research in the library," Sirius said. "But what shall we do?"

That Herbology was spent talking in hushed tones about prank ideas over their potted Devil's Snares, which tried to snag Sirius once or twice.

"Damn these plants," Sirius said, yanking one off of him (again). James looked up from the parchment he and Remus had been scribbling on, while Peter did the Herbology work (it was the one class he was good at).

"Aw, can ickle Siri not handle the pwants?" James said in a sickening baby voice, while Remus and Peter snickered. Sirius rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath and shoving his black locks of hair away from his eyes as he stared at his feet sulkily. His attitude lasted all of two seconds as he overheard James whispering to Remus, "but we don't know the color changing charm yet!"

"Something we can research in the library," Remus said with a shrug. "It can't be too hard, right?"

"What are you four up to?" came a prissy female voice behind them. Sirius inwardly groaned as the four boys turned around to face Lily Evans. She looked stern, glaring at James and Sirius in particular, but her 'menacing' position was ruined by the smudge of dirt on her nose.

James narrowed his eyes at Lily, Sirius following suit. "Any reason you care?" James asked smoothly, raising a brow.

"I'd rather not lose more points for Gryffindor, Potter!" she said shrilly, and Sirius and James rolled their eyes at each other.

"Why don't you join Ravenclaw or something, they _never _misbehave," Sirius said, and Lily huffed, stomping away.

"Goody two-shoes..." James muttered under his breath.

"A good-looking goody two-shoes..." Peter said, looking up at James. Sirius stared at him incredulously, and James arched his eyebrows.

"Peter's right... I mean, look at her," Remus said, looking over at Lily. James and Sirius followed suit.

Sirius couldn't disagree with Peter or Remus. Lily had dark, thick red hair that fell to about her shoulder blades and the most startling green eyes Sirius had ever seen. She was petite and slender, and her skin was flawless and creamy.

James grunted, "She's okay looking..."

Peter, Remus, and Sirius rolled their eyes at each other, not knowing that within a year, James would develop a stalkerish-like crush on the girl...

* * *

The Marauders sat hunched over a piece of parchment in History Of Magic. Like everyone else, they were paying absolutely no attention to Professor Binns, an elderly man who looked like one good wind would blow him over.

_..if we do somehow manage to master the color-changing charm, a fifth year spell, how the hell do we get it to work on EVERY student in the school? _James scribbled, and the other three boys read it, before Remus wrote back.

**_Trust me, this will work. _I _came up with it._**

**_And you said we're arrogant... _**Sirius wrote. **_Anyway, smart-boy, how do you propose we get this charm mastered and figure out how to charm everyone in school?_**

_**Trust me.**_

_**We don't.**_

_**You'd better start.**_

_Do we even know where to look for a book? (JP)_

_**I'm sure High and Mighty Remus knows...**_

**Guys, Lily's looking back here (PP)**

_**I bet she likes the view...**_

_**Sirius!**_

_**Haha... just kidding... not**_

_Can we get back on topic, guys? We need to figure this out... we have Study Hall next!_

_**Learn your schedule, James... we have Charms next. Then Study Hall.**_

_**What do we have after that?**_

**Transfiguration**

_Wow, Petey remembers his schedule..._

_**Our little boy is growing up...**_

_It seems like only yesterday we were feeding him from a bottle..._

**Shut up.**

_**I'm scared now...**_

_**Guys?**_

**Yeah?**

_**Yeah?**_

_Yeah?_

_**SHUT UP!**_

_**Yessir.**_

_We should change Evans' hair color everyday after we learn the charm..._

_**She'd tattle.**_

_Oh... yeah... brat._

_**Agreed.**_

_**ANYWAY, guys... about the prank...**_

_Yes?_

_**Are we hexing the teachers too or only the students?**_

_**Oh, teachers too! We can make Dumbledore's beard pink!**_

_O...kay..._

_**You know my idea's brill.**_

_**Sure, Sirius.**_

Sirius was about to scribble a reply when the bell rang, jerking half the class from slumber. Apparently, only Lily had been taking notes. Everyone else had been sleeping or passing notes back and forth.

"To Charms, dear Marauders! Sirius said boldly, and marched down the corridor. The other three boys sighed wearily, trotting after him in a put-upon way.

* * *

The Marauders were, strangely enough, among the first to slip into Flitwick's classroom. Flitwick nearly fell of his chair with shock.

The class was spent reviewing Animating charms. Remus had no problem, as he'd already mastered that before winter. Sirius and James soon had the charm, and the three of them continued to work on their prank while Peter tried desperately to get the charm.

"So, what have we got so far?" Sirius whispered to James and Remus. Remus passed him the much-scribbled on parchment.

**Students walk in. Step on marked spot. Color-changing charm activated.**

**Twenty minutes later, charm takes effect (slowed down for delayed reaction). Students/staff hair turns neon shades. Slytherins' hair turns red and gold. Dumbledore's hair turns pink. Note on the ceiling saying, "Courtesy of the Marauders. Happy April Fool's Day!"**

Sirius had to say the plan was brilliant for a bunch of eleven year olds.

The Marauders sat patiently, waiting for Charms to end so they could go to Study Hall. The bell didn't ring soon enough, and the Marauders were the first students out of the classroom and, consequently, the first students in the library.

Remus left to find a book while the other three Gryffindors went off to claim a table. They found a secluded one in the back, where they weren't in danger of being overheard by, say, Lily Evans.

Several minutes later Remus came back from the Charms section of the library with a book in his hand, his finger wedged between the pages, saving a certain page. The book was old and tattered, with a weak but thick spine and brittle pages. The title was slightly worn away, but you could still see the words "Advanced" and "Level 5".

He dropped the book on the table, and it flipped open to the page he'd been saving. The page was titled, "Color Changing Charms: The Basics." Underneath were several paragraphs explaining the origin of the color-changing charm and how to preform it. Remus began to practice it as Sirius went off to find a book on how to delay charms when they were activated. Finding it in the second year section, he decided that he would be the one to preform the charm.

Taking it back to the table, he read through the paragraphs explaining it. It was fairly simple, just an incantation. Confident that he understood it, he sat down only to see Remus turn his quill from white to neon green.

"Brilliant!" James said, grinning, and Sirius grinned as well. Peter's eyes were bugging out, impressed with his friend.

"Okay, who wants to be the one to cut Transfiguration to set it up?" Remus asked. Everyone was silent for a moment, before Sirius sighed. "I'll do it. If McGonagall asks, which she will, tell her I'm up in the dorm 'cause I don't feel well."

"She won't buy that," James said, and Sirius shrugged.

"Good luck, mate," James said, clapping Sirius on the back as Sirius turned left at the library door instead of right.

"Yeah... don't mess anything up," Remus said warningly. "You know how to do the charm, right?"

"Yes, mother," Sirius said, rolling his eyes, and Remus laughed. Sirius turned away from his friends, walking down the hall and slipping behind a suit of armor to hide until the hall cleared out. Ten minutes later, Sirius was safe, and he tiptoed down to the Great Hall.

Sirius had never seen it deserted, and he was struck by how huge it was. Suddenly, he felt so insignificant. Shaking himself out of it, Sirius walked to the top step of the marble staircase, mumbling, "Addo." He did the same for every enterance so nobody would be missed. Unfortunately, the Marauders (minus Sirius) wouldn't be spared.

Next, he charmed each spot with the color-changing charm, then the delaying charm, setting the time to fifteen minutes (they'd decided that twenty was too long to wait). Using special charms, he specified it so that the Slytherin's hair would turn red-and-gold, and Dumbledore's hair would turn pink. After thinking for a second, he decided that McGonagall would have purple hair with sparkles in it. Finally, he pointed his wand at the ceiling and preformed the signature charm, then the delaying charm, setting the time to sixteen minutes.

Smirking, Sirius hid under the marble stairs for the next half-hour, waiting for class to end. Eventually, it did, and students began to stream into the hall, unknowingly activating the charm.

Sirius met up with Remus, Peter, and James at the steps minutes later.

"Did you do it?" Remus whispered. Sirius nodded, and the four boys broke into identical grins.

"Excellent," James whispered, and the Marauders took their seats, waiting for their handiwork to show.

Fifteen minutes later, the Hall came up in an uproar when Dumbledore's beard turned bright pink. James' hair when neon green, Remus' yellow, and Peter's blue. The Slytherin's table was soon a sea of red and gold. McGonagall screeched with annoyance when the words appeared in the sky.

"ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION ON THESE MARAUDERS PLEASE REPORT TO MY OFFICE DIRECTLY AFTER DINNER!" she screamed, and stormed out of the Hall. The effect of it was ruined, as her hair was extremely sparkly.

**Another** **chapter posted... :)**

**Luv,**

**PotterScar**

**By the way – Return to Hogwarts HAS BEEN UPDATED!**


	10. Ending The Year With A Bang

**Ugh, I'm so sorry the chapter's so late. Life caught up with me, and my computer was having problems with Spyware and stuff like that. Everything's pretty much fixed, except the printer, but I'm just emailing everything to my buds to print out, so it's all good.**

**BTW: Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed. I truly appreciated it and was very upset when my update got delayed, because you guys are just awesome.**

**Alright, so here's chapter TEN! Brilliant that I've gotten this far.**

**This** **is last chapter of Year One. Year Two will be posted sometime before December. Enjoy!**

Chapter Ten:

Ending the Year With a Bang

By PotterScar

The hall was still for a minute after McGonagall stormed out, before a flurry of whispers began at the Slytherin table.

Severus Snape was one of the only Slytherins who were silent. He listened to the conversations around him; it seemed like every Slytherin wanted to be the one to turn in the pranksters as payback.

Severus thought that making the Slytherins' hair red-and-gold was a stupid idea on the prankster's parts – it just pointed to the fact that they were Gryffindors. Silently, he began to scan the Gryffindor table.

Of course. He should have known. His lip curled into an unpleasant sneer as he laid eyes on the Black heir, the only person in the hall with normal colored hair. He was laughing with his ridiculous friends and had a self-satisfied look on his face.

Silently, Severus stood and swept out of the hall, unnoticed by the rest of his peers.

Five minutes later, Severus was standing at McGonagall's office door. He could hear the teacher inside, thumping around and viciously stuffing papers in her desk. Severus couldn't help but smirk; oh, that Black boy was going to get it.

All his mother could ever talk about, while Severus was a child, was that Black boy. She'd compare Severus to Black; how better looking Black was, how smarter Black was, how Black's blood was pure. Never mind that it was her fault her son had impure blood.

Of course, now that Black was a Gryffindor...

Severus paused, his hand poised to knock. Then, as if someone else was controlling him, he firmly rapped on the door, smirking.

There was a pause of noise inside, for footsteps coming towards the door. McGonagall opened the door, looking down on young Severus.

"Yes, Mr. Snape?"

Severus felt a bit of unease come into him as he looked up at the stern looking witch, before his bravery returned to him. "Professor, you requested information on the pranksters from tonight's dinner... I think I may know who preformed the prank."

McGonagall looked down at her beak-like nose at Severus, looking interested. "Oh, really? Dear boy, do tell..."

* * *

Five minutes after Severus Snape reported his suspicions, he and Professor McGonagall went back down to the hall to confirm them. Sure enough, Sirius Black was the only student without colored hair, and he and his three best friends looked rather smug.

"Messrs. Black, Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, report to my office immediately!" she said, striding up to the four boys as Severus slipped away, though not unnoticed; Sirius sighted him and glowered silently.

"Yes, ma'am," Remus answered softly, as the four first year boys stood and traipsed after her quietly, Sirius scowling over at the Slytherin table; at a greasy-haired first year in particular.

"Snape ratted us out," Sirius muttered in James' ear as they slowed, falling behind Remus, Peter, and McGonagall. James looked at McGonagall to see if she was listening; she was occupied muttering to herself. He turned back to his best friend.

"How do you know?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "He was with McGonagall, stupid," he replied in a whisper. "Before she came over to us, he came in the Hall with her."

"Stop chattering back there, and hurry up," McGonagall tossed over her shoulder, glaring at the two black-haired boys, who shut their mouths and sped up slightly, James casting an annoyed look back behind him at the (gone) Slytherin table.

* * *

"I do not believe I have ever had first year students that were so bold that they would play pranks on their teachers, much less their Headmaster." McGonagall was pacing in front of the four boys. Their reactions to the lecture were very different; Remus looked ashamed, Peter looked close to tears, James looked slightly bored, and Sirius... well, Sirius was asleep. McGonagall stopped her back-and-forth pacing, glaring at Sirius' dozing forms, before transfiguring his wand into a wooden ruler and rapping Sirius hard on the head with it. The boy awoke with a yelp.

The Professor looked absolutely livid as she glared down her nose at Sirius, who was rubbing the back of his head and wincing. "Geez, Professor, were you a Beater in your day?" Sirius mumbled, peering up at the woman. James expected her to hit Sirius again, but the Professor seemed to hold in the urge to do so, and instead rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Black, it seems you have the attention span of a rather stupid dog, so listen to me and listen closely; I will _not _tolerate foolish behavior from you boys. I don't care if 'pranking is what Marauders do best' or junk like that, you will behave while you are enrolled in Hogwarts. I hope you have outgrown your desire to cause trouble by the time you graduate, but Merlin can only preform so many miracles..." She sighed. Remus looked slightly startled; what about the punishments?

"As for your punishment... I believe a night of detention for every prank should be fair." She strode to her desk, shuffling through papers. "... Nineteen. That means every Friday and Saturday night for the next eight weeks will be spent with me, copying lines."

Peter sighed, James looked rather put-upon, Remus looked sad, and Sirius looked nothing short of horrified. "E-Eight weeks?" he stuttered, looking at McGonagall with a shocked expression.

"Yes, Mr. Black, eight weeks. And you had better be here for every single one of your detentions. For every detention you miss, two more will be added. You four may leave." With that, she turned back to her desk, sorting through some papers, and the four Marauders left.

* * *

Somehow, within several hours, the entirety of Hogwarts knew that the Marauders that they awed and loved were – first years. The Gryffindors were beyond proud of their prodigies, while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were slightly jealous, but then relieved - they didn't have a pranksters among their ranks, lowering their chances of them being pranked. The Slytherins were angry - the Marauders that had gotten the better of them time after time were first years?

The Slytherins considered Severus Snape a hero for all of about a week, before, once again, he was thrust into shadow as Lucius Malfoy regained control of the House, holding the Slytherins under his finger. Severus in particular scorned the Malfoy boy; Severus' mother, Eileen Prince-Snape, had always told her son that Slytherins were leaders, not followers, but his entire house followed Malfoy's every move; if Malfoy had long hair, long hair was the "trend" of the Slytherins. Of course, Severus could always appreciate the Gryffindor's rebellion – when long hair was the trend among Slytherin, close-cut and cropped hair was popular in Gryffindor.

Sirius hadn't yet gotten over his grudge against Snape. He hadn't liked the boy to begin with; he'd met Snape when he was younger, as Severus' mother was a Prince – a highly respected pureblood family, marred when Prince ran off with a Muggle, Tobias Snape, and had that greaseball, Severus. Nobody had understood why she'd done it; at twenty-three years, Eileen was engaged to a good-looking, rich, pureblooded man, and merely weeks before her fabulous, expensive wedding, she'd run off with a greasy-haired Muggle. And he wasn't even good looking!

Soon, the commotion raised when the pranksters of the schools were uncovered died down, and things returned to normal. Well, as normal as they'd ever be at Hogwarts. April was blurring away into May, and teachers were pressuring them to study for their exams in a month. Fifth and seventh year students were beginning to prepare for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, and the common room seemed to be a lot quieter in the evenings; Peter and Remus were always studying nowadays (Peter needed the help, and Remus was... Remus), and James and Sirius became increasingly fidgety. Having both Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley, the Head Boy and Girl, in Gryffindor didn't help either; they were both taking N.E.W.T.s and could enforce some rather... erm... _extreme _rules. Sirius and James racked up nearly a month and a half worth of detention that just barely finished by the time school was out. McGonagall, not wanting to spend every evening of the rest of the year with the two rambunctious boys, dispelled the detentions.

As they say, life goes on. May seemed to zoom by at the speed of light, and before James or the other Marauders knew it, it was June, and there was only a half-month left of their first year. The Marauders savored the next eighteen days (well, except the twelfth through the fourteenth, as those were exam days). They played pranks galore and planned a "special" end-of-the year prank for the entire school, but they weren't going to execute it until dinner of the eighteenth, as that was their last dinner – the end of the year Feast.

They received exam scores on the sixteenth. Remus, of course, got perfect scores in everything except Herbology (a Devil's Snare nearly strangled him and Remus, panicking and not knowing what to do, gave it a rather nasty burn with his wand). Peter flunked Potions, but managed to pass everything else (just barely) except Herbology, funnily enough, which he received a perfect score on. Sirius and James passed with ease – Sirius had a little trouble with turning his hand mirror into a mouse in Transfiguration, and James seemed to have difficulties with his Cheering Potion, but they both passed.

The two first years that were granted honors with having the highest scores in the year were Lily Evans and Remus. Lily had trouble with the same thing as Sirius, but her amazing Potions and Charms grades made up for it.

The eighteenth rolled around, and Sirius found himself, instead of excited like the other students, sad at returning home. His mood put a damper on the other Marauders, who told him that he could stay with any of them. Peter and Remus were both lying, really, as Peter didn't have room and Remus didn't have money, but neither of them admitted. It was decided that Sirius would go to James', an the others would meet up there during the summer days.

Sirius' mood was uplifted significantly, and he plotted with the others so that their plan for the Feast would be full-proof.

The students flooded into the Great Hall that night. Floating candles illuminated the faces of excited students as they chattered among themselves, sitting at their tables. Students cast quick glances down at the Marauders, trying to read their expressions, but their faces were blank; all there was, was a spark of excitement in each of their eyes.

Within about ten minutes, the entire school's student population had filed into the Great Hall and were seated at their House tables, waiting in excitement for a prank and for the end of the year to finally come. Many students were looking forward to parties in their common rooms, but were also anxiously awaiting the result of the House Cup; it had been a close ending between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

The Marauder's desperately hoped Gryffindor won: if they didn't, they wouldn't be able to pull off their prank.

The excited chatter buzzed through the hall until McGonagall impatiently began to tap on her goblet with her spoon. When the students showed no sign of letting up, she tapped harder and harder, and soon the glass shattered as she glared at the students furiously. Dumbledore stifled a laugh, standing up. The second he got on his feet, the students were silenced, and McGonagall huffed quietly at his side.

"Another year," he said, looking around at his students. "Some of you will be coming back... some of you... won't." The students knew he wasn't just talking about the seventh years graduating.

"Our seventh years are leaving us, and we are sad to see them go. I would like to thank Molly Prewett and Arthur Weasley for being fantastic Heads, and all of our seventh year Prefects. Also, I would like to congratulate Mr. Weasley on successfully getting a job at the Ministry of Magic; he is the youngest person to get a job there at seventeen." The Gryffindors cheered enthusiastically for the blushing Weasley; Malfoy looked positively livid.

"I'm sure all of you are anxiously waiting to hear the winners of this year's House Cup – I daresay it was rather close – and the magnificent Feast, of course." Here Dumbledore paused, letting the room fill silently with suspense.

"The winners of the House Cup, with six hundred and thirty three points is... Gryffindor!" Dumbledore waited while the Gryffindors celebrated exuberantly.

Sirius slapped James five. "I knew getting those five points in Charms would win us the cup!" he shouted happily. Soon, the hubbub died down, and Dumbledore announced second place.

"In second is Slytherin, with six hundred and thirty points, then Ravenclaw with six hundred and six points, and in fourth, Hufflepuff, with five hundred and ninety two." There was scattered applause, with the Slytherins looking sullen, and Remus whispered, "Now!"

Sirius and James waved their wands, pointing them at the ceiling. Carefully placed fireworks attached to the rafters (they'd levitated Peter up to the rafters to attach them, and Sirius had had a little... fun, as he was the one doing the levitating) went off as Sirius and James released them, creating the message:

_TAKE THAT, YOU SLIMY SERPENTS!  
__FANTASTIC SUMMER TO YOU ALL,  
__THE MARAUDERS  
__P.S. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR, PROFESSOR McGONAGALL!_

McGonagall groaned loudly as the students laughed uproariously, with the Slytherins scowling at each other. Malfoy looked positively horrified, and his face turned the same colors as the crimson and gold decorations adorning the Hall.

Dumbledore looked impressed, and he was later heard saying, "Those are the only students I've ever seen through this school that would climb onto the ceiling to preform a prank!"

Gryffindors congratulated the boys all the way through the Feast and up to the Tower, and through the party that the Tower hosted for its students. Somebody had snuck up food and crates of Butterbeer to the Tower (the Marauders vowed to find out who, and where they got it) and Peter had his first sip of the warm, foamy golden stuff, being Muggleborn and all.

The party continued well into the night. Professor McGonagall didn't come storming into the Tower at one in the morning like Sirius expected her to – probably because it was the last day and they would be all out of her hair soon enough.

All good things must end, though, and so did the party (around two in the morning). The four Marauders, exhausted from their long day, silently trudged to their dorm, changed, and plopped into bed, falling asleep immediately.

* * *

Sirius was awoken by Remus yelling that they were going to miss the train if they didn't get up.

Peter, Sirius, and James managed to shower, change, and take care of hygiene within fifteen minutes, and were soon racing around the dorm, throwing lost things into their trunks at lightening speed. At one point, James just yelled, "throw everything into your trunk, we'll sort it out on the train!"

That's what ended up happening, and the boys just got out in time. "Thank Merlin," Remus gasped, holding a hand to a stitch in his ribs, as the boys raced onto the train.

James and Sirius leaned out of the windows, waving enthusiastically to Dumbledore and McGonagall. The latter pursed her lips and looked rather like a hawk.

The two boys pulled their heads back in, grinning, though Sirius' smile looked a little forced, and they turned back to the other two Marauders. Remus was curled up on a seat, reading, and Peter was munching on a pack of Chocolate Frogs he'd snuck from the party and reading the cards. James sat down next to him, reading Nicolas Flamel's card over his shoulder. Sirius felt compelled to join them, and he plopped down next to the short blonde boy, reading the card.

_**Nicolas Flamel**_

_Believed to be one of the greatest alchemists of wizarding history, he invented the Philosopher's Stone in the early 1400's as a way to thwart death. There is only one Stone, which makes the Elixer of Life (a drink that allows the consumer to live forever) and can turn any mineral into gold._

Bored, Sirius turned away from the card, looking at Remus with a raised brow.

"Rem, I dunno if you got the memo, but _school's over_," he said, emphasizing the last two words. "You don't have to read our Charms textbook."

"I know I don't have to. I want to," Remus said, flipping a page and not even looking up at Sirius, who looked clearly shocked.

James and Peter looked up just in time to see Sirius take the book away from a yelping Remus, then dash out of the compartment, Remus hot on his heels. James and Peter stuck their heads out of the open compartment door, and a minute later, they heard a "No, Sirius!" and a flushing toilet. A minute or two later, Sirius yelped and the toilet flushed again. When Remus and Sirius emerged, Sirius' hair was soaked and plastered to his head and Remus had no book, though the brunette looked satisfied with himself.

* * *

"Where did the train ride go?" Sirius sighed as he and James finished a round of Exploding Snap and the train slowed as it traveled into King's Cross Train Station.

"The same place Pete's homework and my hamster ended up," James said with a shrug, looking at Sirius with mild concern. "You okay, mate?"

"Yeah... I'm not looking forward to going home," Sirius said with a sigh and a shrug. Remus looked up with sympathy, and the four boys set about unloading their things and leaving the train.

James looked around, his eyes falling on his parents. He grabbed Sirius' wrist, dragging him over to the Potters.

"James!" Daniel Potter exclaimed, seeing his son. His eyes fell on Sirius, and they were slightly questioning. Michelle Potter, however, smiled warmly at Sirius.

"Oh, you must be Sirius, James has told us so much about you!" she said kindly, and Sirius couldn't help but smile.

Sirius bid James good-bye several minutes later when his mother, father, and younger brother entered the platform. Celena's eyes widened with outrage when she saw his company, and Orion looked peeved. Regulus had his usual sneer on his face, and the three walked over to Sirius, who began to edge away from the Potters.

"Daniel," Orion greeted curtly, and the brown-haired man just nodded in response, watching the eldest Black coldly. "I wasn't aware that Sirius and your son were acquainted," he continued, but Sirius knew that was a lie; Bellatrix and Narcissa would have told his father.

"Well, they must be. Both in Gryffindor, eh? Must've been a nasty shock for you," Daniel replied, his hazel eyes flashing with slightly glee. Orion scowled, a nasty look coming across his face, before he turned and strode, dignified, away from the Potters. Celena and Michelle had a staring match until James made a small noise under his breath and Michelle broke eye contact. Celena huffed, grabbing Sirius and promptly dragging him away, Regulus at her heels and the trunk drifting after the three.

Sirius looked back at James, who waved slightly with a sad look on his face. The eldest Black son then turned his head to look at Remus, who was with his mother and father, who smiled over at him reassuringly. He then turned to Peter, who was standing with his mother and ranting about Hogwarts, bringing a smile to Sirius' face.

He just had to make it through the first month. He'd be with his friends soon enough.

**Well, that's the end of Shades of Gray: Year One. I hope I did the first year to your satisfaction! Shades of Gray: Year Two will be published before December.**

**Until then... good luck with life!**

**Going to eat Fritos and spread out on the couch,**

**PotterScar**


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